Danielle Catron of Hillsboro says she’s a big fan of celebrating culture for people of all ethnicities.
“I really believe kids need to learn more about their heritage, be more involved with cultural things,” she said.
Danielle, 15, will get the chance to take that message to a wider audience over the next year as the winner of the 2020 Junior Miss Italian St. Louis title.
She will receive a $250 scholarship and have the opportunity to serve as a cultural ambassador at a number of upcoming events.
The competition is sponsored by the Hill Neighborhood Association and for the past 25 years, it has been part of the 100-year-old Italian Heritage and Festa.
While the festival was canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Miss Italian St. Louis competition was held, although with some changes.
“I think people who know about the festival think (the competition’s) only for people who live on The Hill (St. Louis’ predominantly Italian neighborhood),” said Christina Bartels, 26, director of the pageant and a former Miss Italian St. Louis herself.
“But we welcome girls from Jefferson County and all the surrounding areas. You just have to be of Italian descent.”
The Miss Italian St. Louis scholarship pageant has three categories: Miss (ages 18-21), Junior Miss (ages 14-17) and Little Miss (ages 10-13).
Promotional materials say the competition gives young Italian American women the chance to be a spokesperson for their generation. It teaches girls public speaking, interview skills and time management. It also educates them about their ethnic heritage, all while they have fun and nurture friendships that can last a lifetime.
Danielle, the daughter of Michelle and Dan Catron of Hillsboro, said she didn’t have to look far to find confirmation of her own heritage to submit to pageant judges.
“My family is Sicilian,” Michelle said. “We have an Italian heritage album that was done for a family reunion many years ago, and she brought that. It was so much fun because it turned out it showed there were a lot of people (involved with the pageant) related to us.”
Coronavirus leads to lots of changes this year
In normal circumstances, the competition consists of three parts: An application and essay, participation in a set number of qualifying cultural events and then the pageant itself.
“Part of her essay was about how she embraces her Italian culture,” Michelle said of her daughter. “We have recipes that are so old, for things like lasagna but also for comfort foods like spedziedu, a rich chicken soup.”
Danielle called on fond family memories for her essay.
“When I was growing up, my favorite way to spend time with my family and feel involved was cooking with my grandma (Theresa Lucido Mayes of St. Louis),” she said. “Lasagna is probably one of my favorites, cannoli, lots of pastas.
“Being with family is amazing and it brings everything together.”
Competitors are typically required to attend a number of ethnic and cultural events in the time leading up to the pageant, but that requirement was waived this year.
The coronavirus pandemic made for other major changes in the format for this year as well.
“Danielle competed last year, but she didn’t win,” Michelle said. “They have a full-blown pageant, at Favazza’s (restaurant on the Hill) where everybody shows up and there are three or four judges who are prominent figures in the Italian community around the state.”
In past years, the girls had the opportunity to mingle with other contestants as they waited to be called in to interviews with the panel of judges. A reception for contestants and their families followed, then the onstage portion of the program, which included the actual crowning.
“This year, we had to think a little differently,” Bartels said. “We didn’t want to compromise the girls health-wise, and with the riots and everything, families might not be comfortable coming into town.”
This year, the dozen or so applications and interviews were done by mail, email and on virtual platforms like Zoom, and the winners were notified without an in-person event.
In a typical year, the festival includes a large parade with a number of floats and exotic cars.
“There’s usually a group of Ferrari enthusiasts that come,” Michelle said. “There are Lamborghinis, Bugattis – they come from all over for the parade. It all ends with a huge festival.”
Although the annual parade will take place this weekend, it is not open to the public this year because of the pandemic. The number of participants and spectators will be strictly limited, and there will be no dignitaries involved.
Bridging the gap
For the next year, Danielle will attend public events and outreach to promote and foster appreciation of Italian heritage and culture.
“I know things are a little different this year,” she said. “But I’m thankful to be here and participating.”
She said she feels a responsibility to help bridge the gap between older Italians and those of her generation.
As part of that effort, she is compiling a cookbook aimed at teens and young adults.
“She wants to help them pass down family traditions in a way they would be interested,” Michelle said. “Something teens would want to take with them to college.”
Danielle herself will be headed to college soon; homeschooled for the past several years, she is enrolled in a high school/college dual enrollment program through Jefferson College and hopes to major in marine biology.
Meanwhile, she keeps busy with volunteer activities.
“I do food pantries, and I’m hoping to get into nursing homes. It makes me happy to help people,” she said. “I work with horses in Holistic Horsemanship in House Springs and with the Carriage Co., which does the horses and carriage rides in St. Louis. I did pony rides for little kids at carnivals, that kind of thing. That was probably my favorite.”
Bartels said she thinks Danielle will be a good fit in her role as a cultural ambassador.
“I am always excited to see what the girls do with their title,” she said. “We had one girl use her scholarship money to help pay for a study abroad year in Italy, and that was exciting. I encourage them to get involved not only in the Italian community, but to wear their crown and sash to other events that are important to them.
“The pageant is not about beauty; it’s not about who you know. It’s about coming and meeting new friends and making cultural connections. As I get older, these connections have helped lift me up and given me some advantages.”
She said she hopes the word gets out about the pageant.
“There are some valuable lessons rooted in it,” she said. “I hope it can grow and give opportunities to people all around the St. Louis area to represent and celebrate their heritage.”