When Danielle Hubbel stepped onto the pageant stage as Mrs. Rochester at the Mrs. New York USA pageant in May, she carried more than a title and a formal gown. She carried a message.
For Hubbel, the beauty pageant became an opportunity to shine a light on something far more meaningful: the need to support women through pregnancy, birth and the early days of motherhood.
Hubbel’s path takes her from film to public policy to family
As a teenager growing up in Fairport and attending St. John of Rochester Parish with her family, Hubbel had an interest in theater, dancing and singing.
“I love all things musically related,” she said.
When it came time for college, Hubbel headed to Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio, but transferred to John Paul the Great Catholic University in Escondido, Calif., for film studies. While there, she worked on independent films, and Netflix and ABC shows. It also was there that she first got involved in the pro-life movement and served as the president of the university’s Students for Life of America club.
“We had prayer events and rallies, and we brought in speakers, and I really liked the intersection of policy,” Hubbel explained.
Though she initially returned home after graduating, it wasn’t long before Hubbel was back on the West Coast to pursue a master’s degree in public policy at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. She then worked at the Center for Legislative Accountability in the Washington, D.C., area.
While in D.C., Hubbel became engaged to her husband, Dan, a fellow Rochesterian, and ended up moving home, where she worked as director of religious education at St. Kateri Parish in Irondequoit and later at St. Leo Parish in Hilton.
After getting married and starting her family, she became a fertility-care instructor in the Creighton Model System, which is a method of natural family planning and reproductive health tracking. She also received training as a doula through DONA, an international doula-certification organization. The Hubbels, who live in Greece, have three boys, Edwin, 3; Mark, 2; and Peter, who will be 1 year old in October.
Hubbel learns about Mrs. New York America
While beginning her new life as a wife and mother, Hubbel sought out an agent in Rochester to help her stay involved in the film industry. She connected with the Mary Therese Friel Modeling Agency, which was founded by former Miss USA Mary Therese Friel. Through Friel, she learned about the Mrs. New York America beauty pageant, a competition that gives married women a platform to raise awareness about causes near and dear to them.
“It really drew my interest, because it is an intersection of public speaking and advocacy with the performance aspect and public engagement. So it kind of tied these interests that I had together,” Hubbel said. “I saw it as a really great opportunity to start speaking about some amazing organizations that really align with pro-family, pro-woman and maternal health advocacy.”
Hubbel applied to represent Rochester in the Mrs. New York America pageant, which took place May 31 at the RIT Inn and Conference Center in Henrietta. The pageant featured eight married women from across the state who were judged on community service, interview, and swim and evening wear.
Hubbel uses pageant to bring awareness to ‘Born Supported’ platform
Hubbel said the pageant was a big undertaking that involved more than just the pageant day. As part of the process, Hubbel attended such local events as the Lilac Parade and threw out the first pitch at a Rochester Red Wings baseball game. She also partnered with the Margaret Home in East Rochester, which supports pregnant and parenting mothers, and Restore Health and Wellness in Rochester, a new medical center that provides care in the tradition of the Catholic Church.
“The heart of the pageant is the mission or the platform that you advance while you are preparing for it,” she remarked.
Hubbel’s platform was “Born Supported,” an effort to create a culture in which women and families feel supported through pregnancy, birth, parenthood and beyond. Hubbel said this cause aligns with her fertility-care instructor and doula work, as well as her values as a Catholic.
“I thought it was a beautiful opportunity to share this message,” she said, noting that her platform corresponds with the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Walking with Moms in Need initiative to support pregnant and parenting mothers in challenging circumstances.
Hubbel said the pageant experience allowed her to challenge herself, but that she most enjoyed learning about what is going on in the community and the work that is being done to support new mothers.
Hubbel continues to share her platform
Though Hubbel was not crowned Mrs. New York America, her reign as Mrs. Rochester continues until January. During her last few months as Mrs. Rochester, she plans to continue advancing her platform by attending events and volunteering for various organizations.
“For anybody who believes in this cause and supports this platform, I would love to continue to partner with them,” Hubbel told the Catholic Courier Sept. 1. “I just enjoy sharing this message, and so I’m hoping that I can continue to do that until my time’s up as Mrs. Rochester.”
And while the Mrs. New York America competition is over, Hubbel doesn’t rule out another pageant in her future.
“I definitely would love to do this again. It was such an exciting, fun opportunity, and just so many beautiful experiences throughout this process,” she said.
Tags: Life Issues, Monroe County West, NY Catholics
