Fulfilling part of her official duties, newly crowned Baby Miss New York 2024, 2-year-old Emilia Charlot, paid a visit to the attendees of a senior program run at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC) in Norwood on Friday, April 25, delighting everyone with her presence.

 

Norwood News learned that Emilia, a student at MMCC’s Head Start Child Development Program, captured the hearts of the judges and audience at the recent Baby Miss America Pageant, in which she was a runner-up, with her charm and delightful personality.
MMCC officials said they were honored to highlight her achievement and recognize the positive impact events like the pageant have on the local community. Local City Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), who was seen trying on Emilia’s tiara at one point, used the occasion to formally present Emilia with a “baby proclamation.”

 

The councilman said Emilia was the youngest person to whom he has ever presented a proclamation. Reading in part from it, he said, “I join [this area] in celebrating Emilia Charlot who was recently crowned Baby Miss New York for her charm, delightful personality, and the joy you bring to all who meet you.”

 

Dinowitz talked about how Emilia shone brightly on the recent Baby Miss America pageant stage, “serving as a wonderful example of confidence, creativity, and comradery from a young age.” He added, “Now, therefore, be it known, Eric Dinowitz, councilman of the district, proudly recognizes Emilia Charlot, Baby Miss New York, for your outstanding achievement!”

Mixing happily among the adults, Emilia smiled and posed for some photos, one of her trophies in toe despite it being a good foot taller than her tiny self. Frank, 75, said of Emilia, “She’s done so much in the past couple of months,” adding that he thinks she will be a great representative for New York. Another attendee, Terry, 63, said, “She’s the cutest one! And I know she has the innocence, but she can keep on going on and she will be the Miss Universe!”

 

Later, we asked Maya Doyle, Emilia’s mom, about the pageant experience. “I enrolled her in the pageant world about maybe May of last year,” she said. On July 4, she said they were informed Emilia had been selected to represent New York, and she then had to submit pictures, and later fly to New Orleans for the Baby Miss America contest. “It was five different outfits she had to wear: a cocktail dress, an eighties outfit, Mardi Gras because it was New Orleans, a pink western outfit, and Back to Blue, which is about representing and honoring the police department,” she said.

 

Emilia’s mom said the little girl won first place in that category which she thinks was because she wore her own miniature NYPD uniform, and all the family also participated, wearing NYPD shirts. She said the contest hosts encouraged her to keep going and therefore, Doyle said they would, for as long as Emilia enjoys it. “It gets her out, it gets her available to people, and it connects her to the communities,” Doyle said.

We asked the proud mom if she had any concerns about any potentially harmful effects of the pageant world on children. “No,” she said. “So, the protocols they put in place during the actual competition, there’s no cell phones. All the photography is done by their team and it’s to prevent anything malicious done to a child. You can’t take pictures of another person’s family. You pay for a photo package of your child, so there’s no concerns I had. It’s so safe and protective as a family so I would totally do it again.”

 

When asked, the councilman later said on the same topic, “It’s not just about standing on the stage waving. She has to go to a senior center for grandmas and grandpas and talk to them, and I don’t think there’s anything more beautiful than the youngest generations having interactions with the older generation. I think it’s great. I was really proud to be here for [one of] our youngest constituents,” he said, adding that his oldest constituents, aged 100, are also honored.

 

We also asked Doyle if the contestants wear make-up or other cosmetics. “It’s not required for the pageant,” she said. “They ask you to be as natural as possible. You just do their hair and ask them to smile. They don’t look for the make-up, the lashes; it’s not what this pageant is about. It’s really about natural beauty, and honoring the family, and the kids as beautifully as they naturally are.”

We said Emilia was certainly that and the little girl replied, “Thank you!” Asked what her best friend’s name was, Emilia said, “Jess” and when we asked what her favorite game was, she said, “Soccer!”

 

Jackina Farshtey of MMCC said of the event, “It’s such an honor to have Baby Miss New York, Emilia Charlot, be part of our program. She’s dynamic, she’s young, and it’s great to really see a young person at such an early age do such amazing things, so we’re just honored to have her!” She added, “And her mother, who is one of our directors, Maya Doyle, is a legacy applicant and turned into a wonderful director here so the tradition continues!”