Miss St. Martin

Gisella Hilliman

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
My interests include observing and learning personalities, acting, playing the piano, modeling, dancing, traveling, and watching basketball. I enjoy, singing, shopping and spending quality time with my family and friends and serving in the community most.

Name one person other than your parents who has had the most influence on your life. Why?
My sister, Zahira Hilliman, has had the most influence on my life. She has been my role model and support from a very young age. I admire her as she strives with diligence to accomplish the goals she has set for herself with much success. At the age of 17, she wrote and composed the National Anthem of the Netherlands Antilles and she is also the singer of St. Maarten's National Flag song. She obtained her Bachelor's of Arts degree in Sociology with honors and is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Community Development at Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, England. Although she is 6 years older than I am, she is my closest friend. She is the embodiment of intelligence, beauty, poise, determination, confidence, humor, ambition, friendship, and love.

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?
I mulled over the career path I should follow for some time. Uppermost in my mind was a poster that my secondary school form teacher had displayed in her classroom: " Choose a job that you love and you'll never have to work a day of your life." I've decided to choose a career that best fits my personality and that I find great pleasure doing. For these reasons I now aspire to become a Clinical Psychologist. My increased exposure to the study of psychology at the University of St. Martin has piqued my interest in the field and I am eager and motivated to continue working towards my future in this career.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
I could not have asked for a better place to grow up. I was born on the 37 square mile island of St. Martin. St. Martin is the smallest country to be separated into two nationalities, the French and the Dutch, which both have resided peacefully for 357 years. St. Martin boasts crystal clear waters and pearly white sands, bustling nightlife, various historical sights, and tropical weather all year round. Our home is at the top of South Reward hill on the Dutch side of St. Martin. As a child, I always questioned why my parents chose to live so far away from the city with no immediate neighbors for a few years. As I grew older, I came to appreciate the place my parents chose to raise us. My immediate environment was clean and tranquil and has helped to shape me into a nature loving, and environmentally aware person. My favorite afternoon pastime at home quickly became enjoying a picturesque, bird's eye view of St. Maarten/St. Martin and some of the neighboring islands. Wherever my travels may take me, South Reward Hill, St. Maarten, will always be my paradise. As a closely-knitted family, I spent a lot of time with my parents, sister Zahira and brother Patrick. Being the youngest, I learned many things from my elder siblings. My parents divorced when I was 13 years old. This period of my life was traumatic, especially since I was "Daddy's little girl." I, however, soon realized that there is a lesson in every obstacle and my lesson has yielded in me a more understanding, forgiving and persistent personality. In primary school, I stood out from among the other students because of my towering height and dark complexion. Needless to say, I was not popular with the other kids and was often teased for being different. Against all odds I believe that this has helped to sculpt me into the loving, caring, understanding and confident person that I am today. I truly love who I am and value and appreciate others' uniqueness.

What makes you unique and different from the other contestants?
I possess the ability to communicate with anyone and am very respectful of the cultures and opinions of others. This is because I am faced daily with diverse cultures and personalities on my island. St. Martin, to reiterate, is an island divided between two nations that have been in peaceful coexistence for 357 years and home to over 104 nationalities. St. Martin is known as “the friendly island.” I also possess the ability to write and speak a unique language... the language of song.

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