Gabriela was raised in Lawrence, MA to a family of immigrants and overcame many adversities like being the child of an incarcerated parent, surviving assault, growing up in poverty, and losing a friend to gang violence. Life hasn’t always been easy, but she found a way to turn scars into stars. She decided to compete for Miss MA which she won becoming the first black titleholder! At Miss America, she won Prelim Interview, the STEM award, People’s Choice, and placed Top Five at Miss America. She uses her platform to inspire and encourage others to face everything and rise daily. Her future aspirations are to continue her work as a Motivational Speaker and to continue advocating for others whose voices have been silenced and hindered. Her future goal is to host a talk-show where in depth conversations and lessons are shared to provide support to others.