Gabriella Deyi
WeXL started working with Gabriella “Gabby” Deyi in 2018 when she joined us as a co-host and producer for REPRESENT, a sunsetted original show (and the precursor to We eXceL daily). WeXL awarded the 2020 EIR Fellowship to Gabriella “Gabby” Deyi, then Miss Wisconsin USA, and a journalism fellow at The University of Wisconsin. As a mental health advocate, Gabby raises awareness of mental illnesses, including those that afflict her mother and brother.
A first-generation American to immigrants from Liberia and Dominican Republic, Gabby is a bilingual journalist born and raised in Northern California. After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and working in a lab, Gabby realized she wanted to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist.
Through the 2020 EIR program, Gabby received a salary to work with the WeXL team on producing and hosting American Wellness, a WeXL original docuseries on mental health in the United States. Gabby also participated as a mentor for our Boundless Youth: Self-discovery through Filmmaking program. Over Zoom, Deyi was emotional as she shared her story to an audience of predominantly Black and LatinX students at Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School. Gabby talked to the girls about growing up and being bullied. A few weeks later, the girls shared Gabby’s heartbreak as we watched the Miss USA pageant over the Internet.
When the chapter on competing in beauty pageants closed for Gabby, she began to reevaluate her goals and next steps. Also, she questioned her path in television news, which is losing viewers to Web-based content. About a month after Miss USA, one of WeXL’s partners, Logitech, saw Gabby’s work on American Wellness and offered her a full-time role as their corporate storyteller.
The 2020 EIR program culminated in a webinar with the Panhellenic Coalition of Women of Color (CWC) at Rutgers University on women’s mental health, which featured Gabby and other mental health experts from the WeXL community. Over 140 sorority women participated in the event.
WeXL’s Content With Gabriella
As a Mentor on Boundless Youth:
When You Were a Little Girl, Did You Picture Yourself in a Pageant?
I never thought but I’ve always had the dream, my parents didn’t have a lot growing up, I had to make it off on my own at the very beginning with their love and support - Gabriella Deyi
Who Was Your Best Inspiration Growing Up?
One of my inspiration was my dad, he is my best friend because he’s so strong and he perseveres through any obstacles, I would not be here today if my dad didn’t push me the way he had - Gabriella Deyi
What Kind of Competitor Are You?
I never gone in wanting to win, you don’t compete to win because winning means your eye is only on the prize and is not on everything else around you that could possibly benefit you - Gabriella Deyi
Did You Ever Get Bullied in School?
I got bullied a lot because I looked very different than a lot of the people that I went to school with, they were bullying me and I knew I was going to be something bigger than what they expected me to be and that’s what I want you guys to embody - Gabriella Deyi
You’re Very Inspiring to Me Because My Brother Was Crying That He Didn’t Look Like My Dad and I Told Him That It’s OK if You Don’t Look Like Anyone Else, You’re Still Unique in Your Own Way.
Sometimes you don’t feel like you don’t belong but you do belong, you were created to stand out, you weren’t made the same for a reason - Gabriella Deyi