When Gina Mellish was crowned Miss New Jersey Teen USA in 2016, her entire family flew to Las Vegas to watch and support her in competition.
Last week when the 21-year-old Oceanport native represented the Garden State as Miss New Jersey USA in the Miss USA pageant, only her mother was in attendance due to the competition's COVID-19 restrictions.
"My dad does have diabetes so we were nervous about (him flying with) his pre-existing condition," Mellish told the Press. "So we just thought that … it would be better (for him) to watch at home. So that was obviously sad but it was great to have my mom there."
Her mom, Lorri, had to lodge in a separate hotel room and the only time Mellish saw her was from on stage during the pageant.
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The restricted access was one of many COVID-19 safety measures implemented over Mellish's week in Memphis, Tennessee.
"We had to quarantine for two weeks before going," Mellish said. "They sent us an at-home test that we had to do over Zoom with them and mail it in before we got on the plane."
Delegates, again, had to quarantine for one night upon arrival and were permitted to participate in the week's events after producing a negative test result. Pageant staff and competitors were tested every 48 hours, according to Mellish.
"They took really good care of us. We were six feet apart the entire time, we had masks on every second we were outside of the room," she said. "Except for eating, but we basically ate at tables alone."
The only time the delegates had theirs masks off were the moments they were actually competing on stage for the big event, Mellish said. Originally scheduled for May, the pageant was postponed twice before it was finally held Nov. 9 at the Exhibition Center and the Soundstage at Graceland.
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The televised event showcased 51 delegates, one from each state as well as Washington, D.C., competing for the Miss USA crown. The contestants were judged in swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions.
The interview portion of the pageant is Mellish's favorite. A survivor of domestic violence, Mellish's platform of domestic violence awareness is one that closely resonates with her.
"I got to tell my story of relationship abuse and how I've been championing women and teaching other young girls about the unhealthy side, and how I really have been dedicated to helping the next generation of women," she said.
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When the top 16 delegates were announced, Mellish, the competition's youngest contestant, was the first name called.
"It was a 45-second moment when my video was being played," Mellish said. "Being able to just take it in and see my mom, I could actually see her jump out of the chair which was the coolest thing because normally you're in a huge auditorium and you can't see the audience."
This year, the audience capacity was limited to 300 guests, according to WMC-TV.
In the next round, she was the final delegate to be named in the top 10.
You can watch Mellish's top 10 announcement in the video below.
In the end, 22-year-old Asya Branch won, making history as the first Miss Mississippi to win the Miss USA pageant.
Now that her reign as Miss New Jersey USA has come to an end, Mellish is looking forward to her next life venture.
"I'm excited to actually have a career," Mellish, a recent graduate of Marist College, said. While pursuing a degree in fashion merchandising, she interned with Giorgio Armani and aspires to work in public relations for a fashion brand.
"It's incredible because I'm only 21 and my pageant career is now behind me," she said. "That was a whole chapter in my life that I get to gracefully and gratefully close."
Jai-Leen James is a digital producer at the Asbury Park Press. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @j_james17.
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