Pavlina's Kidz Place

“I approach anything with no prejudging. They don’t have a face when I interview them.”
At the early age of six, Florida resident Pavlina Osta aspired to become a ballet dancer and found herself determined to pursue her dream. Almost six years later, she participated in competitions all over the country and had a closet lined with platinum place trophies. However, she wanted more so she traveled to New York City to participate in dance intensives and discussions with the professionals. She worked with the best of the best at Broadway Dance Studio, Chelsea Studios, Alvin Ailey Studios and more. She auditioned for the Joffrey & ABT summer programs and was accepted into the year round trainee program. At 11 years old, Pavlina’s fans inspired her to start her own radio show. That’s when Pavlina’s Kidz, a radio show about kids empowering kids, was born.

Pavlina interviews celebrities and kids who are making a difference. “The radio was not planned, it just happened! People (fans) said I should have my own radio show. So, I decided to start something that was really fun,” says Pavlina, “There is inspiration all around me.” Pavlina credits her mother as being her biggest role model. She adds, “With most of the celebrities I’ve interviewed, I admire their work, so they’re my role models as well.” Pavlina Kidz Place is run by Pavlina. “I decide who to interview. My mother does administrative work and sends out emails. Then my production manager edits my interviews when I’m done,” says Pavlina. “What I want kids to learn from what I do is simple. You can make it however big you want it to be, but you must enjoy the journey and love what you do. There are no obstacles too big to overcome, if you set your mind to succeed in life. It takes work!”

Talk about multi-tasking. Pavlina is a Girl Scout with a Silver Award and is currently working toward her gold award. “Being a Girl Scout has definitely prepared me physically and mentally for the type of work I do. Mentally, I approach anything with no prejudging. When I interview someone, I want to know who they are and what they do. They don’t have a ‘face’ when I interview them,” says Pavlina. It doesn’t end there. She has also completed the YMCA jr. lifeguard program and is CPR, AED, first aid and rescue certified. At city council meetings, she’s asking for mandatory spay and neutering.

We wanted to know what challenges Pavlina faces when seeking people to interview. Do people turn her down? “I get turned down all the time! Celebrities especially; they don’t think I have an interview or an audience big enough. I’ve learned to acknowledge the challenges as part of doing business,” remarks Pavlina. She may be juggling many things, but she manages to go to school, go to dance rehearsals, and work at Pavlina Kidz Place. She remarks, “Make no mistake, school is very important to me. I’m an Honor Roll student! It’s very important that I maintain good grades and go to college. I have a busy schedule but I’ve learned to use my time wisely. My mom picks me up from school, and we drive for one hour to Orlando for my ballet. From there, I go home and do my homework. On the most part, I go to school very early. I miss dance sometimes to go to interviews. I interview people wherever I am, sometimes in the car or after ballet in my dance clothes. It works for me.”

Pavlina is very organized and handles every interview professionally. We found her story inspirational and we hope you’ll be encouraged to realize that everyone has a talent. Some people know they have a talent; some don’t know it. What is your talent? What inspires you?

Pavlina is a full-time student and attends Orlando Ballet four times a week normally and five to six times a week if there’s a production with rehearsals going on. As of last year, Pavlina has been a Page in Tallahassee’s House of Representatives for one week after being sponsored by a Florida Representative. Pavlina has been recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution as an outstanding citizen and was recognized by the American Cancer Society for her contributions to the Relay for Life events. See Pavlina's interview with figure skater Carli Castillon in the print and digital edition.