Life and Work with Marissa Mezzatesta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Mezzatesta.

Marissa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, dance served as both my sanctuary and the way I could freely and safely express my emotions. I fell in love with performing on stages all over the world and in 2010, I found myself on the Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen Stage! I went on to capture the title of Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen 2011 and served our great state of Arizona that year. As a young girl, I looked up to the accomplished women who served as Miss Arizona, through the Miss America Organization and aspired to also compete on the Miss Arizona stage. Serving as Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen was launching pad for that dream and a few years later, I began my Miss Arizona journey. Growing up in dance and attending an all-girls high school, Xavier College Preparatory, I was constantly working with children and had the importance of service instilled in me. I wanted to share my love for dance and its healing powers with others, and with a focus on children, I began to share my talents and volunteer my time.

As a volunteer mentor with the Theatre Artist Studio, I witnessed the power of mentorship for the first time. I was able to use my gift of dance to provide the healing power of the arts to children living in group homes and shelters, or who had suffered from abuse. In order to cultivate a healing environment, I organized a dance shoe drive which I named “Happy Feet.” What started as a small pile of 20 pairs of shoes, had blossomed into a collection of more than 200, and has continued to grow. I never imagined that something as small as a pair of shoes could have such a great impact on children’s lives. As I watched the joy flow through their feet, the “Happy Feet” shoe drive came to life. To watch children transform and open up their hearts and minds as a result of positive mentorship encouraged me to continue my efforts. I have since crafted my very own collection bins and have partnered with local dance studios and companies to serve as donor sites. Beyond my shoe drive, I have served as a youth mentor with several local organizations, over the years. The heart of the Miss Arizona/Miss America Organization is service and my love for serving our youth continues to draw me closer and closer to the organization. I have also been fortunate enough to find my calling and career path, in Pediatric Psychiatry, through my many years of serving as a youth mentor. Not only does this organization encourage women to better their communities, but it also helps to better young women. Through my years of being involved with this program, I have watched myself blossom. I have gained confidence, health, friends and family, communication skills, college scholarships, drive and the tools necessary to succeed in all aspects of life.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like all good things in life, nothing comes easy. With hard work, dedication and most importantly, self-love, we can accomplish anything we put our minds to!

In my college years, I dealt with both personal health issues and the loss of loved ones. Being that I’m 100% Italian, family means everything to us. Unfortunately, I dealt with the loss of both my grandparents within weeks of one another. These losses set me back in my Miss Arizona journey, as it took time for me to regain myself and my happiness, after losing such a large part of my heart. I also found out that I was one of many women dealing with PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome. Acceptance of myself and my body image didn’t come easy. But, through the encouragement of the Miss America Organization, I took back my health, my body, my energy, my self-confidence and my love for life and fitness! For those of you who are unfamiliar PCOS, it comes with many side effects such as hormone imbalance, issues with blood sugar, hair loss, acne, fatigue and weight fluctuation that would defeat any woman. I know I sure felt defeated for years, but I didn’t stay defeated! I learned more on how to take care of my body and my health while living with PCOS, I conquered my fear of competing in swimsuit and danced my heart out on stage for my grandfather who always called me “Miss America.” I can’t lie, every day is a battle but it’s that battle and that fight that makes it worth it in the end!

Positivity and perspective are key! I like to tell others that we can’t always control what happens to us in life, but what we can control is how we respond and react. I have personally found that having something positive to focus on (whether it be a dream, aspiration, goal, activity, sport, career, etc.), can serve as an outlet for comfort and clarity of mind, body, and spirit. It’s important in times of challenge that we quickly replace the negative thought with positive and outlets like these can provide that positive space.

Please tell us about Miss Glendale.
For the past ten plus years, I have served as a youth mentor with several local organizations such as Mentor Kids USA, Divorce Recovery Inc., The Boys and Girls Club, Free Arts of Arizona, Theatre Artist Studio, as well as BLOOM Development, to name a few. I work to help our youth heal, offer a source of comfort and guidance and to increase their confidence and self-worth. My time is a youth mentor and service with the Children’s Miracle Network has led me to a career in pediatric psychiatry, as I now work as a behavioral health technician on the adolescent unit of an inpatient, mental health hospital here in Arizona. Adolescent hospital visits, due to a suicide attempt or suicide ideation, has more than doubled in the past decade. We have also experienced a 20-30% increase in successful suicides, over the United States. I see these statistics first hand, working at the hospital and truly believe we can assist our youth, through mentorship, before they reach the point of hospitalization. Due to this, my goal now is to encourage others to become youth mentors, as I believe youth mentorship is truly vital to the future of our youth! With this goal in mind, I am now working on finishing my very own Mentor Marissa website where mentors and mentees can connect with one another, as well as local organizations that offer mentorship services. My website, www.mentormarissa.com, will offer resources on how to become a youth mentor, mentorship events and workshops, locations to donate dance shoes for my “Happy Feet” dance shoe drive and offer inspiration as to why youth mentorship is so vital to our community!

Who have you been inspired by?
I have drawn inspiration from many women over time and history. First and foremost, from my own mentors growing up. Women such as Mrs. Amy Homco, my very first dance teacher and Mrs. Denise Swartzman, women who had a passion for bettering young girls and their confidence.

Iconic women include:
Mia Michaels not only for her unique work of passion and beauty in dance but also for being a champion of change in the areas of body image, self-expression & acceptance, women’s empowerment & equality.
Jennifer Lopez for her passion for performing, her fearlessness in chasing dreams and her confidence and acceptance of a curvy body image.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for the way she carried herself with class, dignity, poise and a simplistic style.
Rosa Parks for showing women to always stay true to themselves and their beliefs no matter what challenges they may face for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.mentormarissa.com
• Email: missglendaleaz@gmail.com
• Instagram: @missglendaleaz @mentor_marissa
• Facebook: MentorMarissa
• Twitter: @missglendaleaz

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