Meet Celinett Ortega | Founder & President of Stellar Role Models

We had the good fortune of connecting with Celinett Ortega and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Celinett, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Stemming from my own personal experience as a mother and working in public schools, I identified a void in programming that infused fun ways to build up self-esteem in preschool through middle school aged girls, hence Stellar Role Models (SRM) was born. For me, this is not a business, it’s my passion. SRM is a tax exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that focuses on boosting self-esteem, confidence, and developing communication and social skills in order to equip youth for success. SRM also promotes education and community service involvement to make for a well-rounded individual. The goal is to nurture, develop and empower the future leaders to be the best version of themselves.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In order to engage girls to participate in our program, we have to make it fun and engaging. Tying in my positive involvement in pageantry with my daughter, we took that idea and designed an inner beauty celebration. The girls are not judged on physical traits or who wears the most expensive dress, instead we focus on important inner qualities like confidence, communication and social skills amongst other inner attributes. What sets us apart is, the girls are not expected to figure this out on their own, we actually provide a series of Success Workshops that educate the girls in select focus areas and essential life skills aforementioned. Our workshops include Talk-the Talk (Communication), Walk-the-Walk (Confidence), Work It (Personal Strengths & Talents), Queen Qualities (Social Skills & Community Service), and True Beauty (Self-love & Embracing one’s uniqueness). Additionally, we invite industry professionals to serve as guest speakers and judges. One of my favorite things that we do is recognize a local “role model” who makes a difference in the community and that the participants and their families can relate to. This along with stellar customer service sets us apart. However, it was not easy, there were definitely challenges and learning curves along the way but I remained focused and determined. I initially tried starting this back in 2008 and then the recession hit. In 2011 I had an opportunity to make it part of the youth programming at the school I was employed at. Then in 2019, I branched outside of the school system in order to be able to open the program to all girls who want to participate. During the pandemic, I registered the business as a non-profit organization…and here we are. Never give up on your dreams.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

I am located in Bergen County NJ, which is a hop and a skip away from New York City. So I love doing things both in NJ and NYC.

Things I like to do in New Jersey are:
Of course I am going to suggest some shopping, and what better place than American Dream Mall which is also home of Nickelodeon Universe, a water park and ice rink (and many other attractions) in addition to all of the great stores for shopping.

New Jersey is known for its diners, so when in Jersey you must go to a diner. A good one to try is Summit Diner, one of the oldest diners in New Jersey.

If you have a friend from out-of-town, Atlantic City is a good stop too, you have the boardwalk, outlets and you get to press your luck at the casinos!

This time of year one of my favorite things to do is go to a farm, like Secor Farms, and pick pumpkins, apples and eat apple cider doughnuts!

I also enjoy going to Liberty State Park to enjoy the New York skyline view. Great place to ride your bike and roller skate while catching a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.

Things I like to do in New York are:
Have a picnic in Central Park in the Great Lawn after seeing Belvedere’s Castle, Conservatory Garden and Strawberry Fields.

Going to museums like The Met or Natural History are also great things to do during the day in NYC.

For nightlife, I suggest doing one of the many rooftops with amazing views of the city, like PHD rooftop or a dinner cruise circling Manhattan.

When in New York it’s always good to catch a Broadway play, or if you like sports, a baseball game at Yankee Stadium or a basketball game at Madison Square Garden.

Last but not least, everyone loves to get great pics to post on social media, so I suggest The Edge at Hudson Yards, The High Line park, and the Brooklyn Bridge or DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass).
This is just the tip of the iceberg, there is tons more to do and something for every preference. Who knows, maybe we’ll bump into each other…

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely could not do what I do without the support of my family and friends. Shout out to my hubby Andres and my kids, Celinda, Kayla, and Andres Jr. who are my pillars. Actually, my daughter Celinda Ortega, (currently Miss Dominican Republic USA and formerly Miss New Jersey USA 2021) is the Vice President of Stellar Role Models and is a crucial part of the organization’s success. Support from donors/collaborators like The Floral Escape, Glitter & Glam Spa and Glitter Talent, have also been a huge part of making this program so impactful and a memorable experience.
Of course, we can’t forget the volunteers that so graciously lend their time and expertise to make a difference-I thank them with all of my heart.
Lastly, the families that enroll their children in the Stellar Role Models program… Thank you for the opportunity to work with your children and for becoming an extension of support for each other.

Website: https://www.stellarnj.com and Stellarrolemodels.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellarproductionsnj

Other: New .org website coming soon