Celinda Ortega has been involved in pageantry since 2004 and has won several prestigious local, state and national titles, such as Miss New Jersey USA 2021 and 2014-2015 National All American Miss. Although she loves to be on stage, she has also grown to love mentoring girls behind the scenes and helping others reach their full potential. She believes everyone has valuable strengths and qualities; they just need the right coach/mentor to guide them to success. Thus in 2013, Celinda and her mother founded Stellar Role Models, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating youth on the importance of confidence. Through Stellar Role Models, Celinda hosts workshops focused on empowering girls and teaching others valuable life skills many she acquired from her personal pageantry experience. Celinda also provides 1-on-1 pageant coaching through her business, Stellar Consulting. Having earned numerous perfect-score pageant walks, she loves teaching clients her winning pageant walk techniques. Additionally, her degree and experience in public relations have equipped her with sharp communication skills to come up with catchy intros, creative platforms, and winning public speaking & interview strategies. She is proud to have mentored over a hundred girls and coached numerous state and national queens.

Celinda graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations in 2016 and worked as a publicist in NYC until a near-fatal lupus flare in 2018 changed her life. Now, Celinda is determined to become a rheumatologist and help others like her living with lupus and chronic illnesses. She recently completed her second degree in biomedical science and plans to apply to medical school next year. Celinda is honored to serve as Miss New Jersey USA this year and is grateful to further her advocacy for lupus awareness, expand her girl empowerment workshops through Stellar Role Models, and inspire anyone dealing with a chronic illness or similar challenge to never give up on their dreams.