Presenting: Denice Marie Paskovski, model, actress, army veteran.

Denice Marie Paskovski, tell us about you?

I grew up in a small coal mining town in Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania. Everyone worked very hard for a living. It was an immigrant community full of people who brought different cultures, heritages, and traditions with them.

I was raised by my mother and my grandparents. My grandfather immigrated from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, specifically from Levoca, in the Prešov area of Czechoslovakia, nestled in the Trans-Carpathian Mountain region. My grandmother and great-grandmother immigrated from Paris, France. So I grew up in the middle of diverse languages and values. It was a very inclusive culture. From an early age, I learned to appreciate diversity. My other cultures worth mentioning are Polish, since my father’s family immigrated from Kraków, Poland; Circassian; Ukrainian, thanks to my grandfather’s mother’s side, and Cherokee, thanks to my maternal great-grandfather.

Through the military structure and discipline, I learned that I was capable of much more than I thought I was. Too often, people underestimate their own abilities and potential. In modeling and acting, success depends upon one’s conviction that one can accomplish more than what is thought to be possible. Through self-discipline and persistence, you can accomplish anything you set out to do. When quitting is not an option, you discover what you are made of and are truly capable of doing.

My work and experience working with Tim Burton on the movie ‘Big Fish:

Tim is a creative genius! He can make any idea a reality. For instance, for the scene featuring the town of Spectre, Tim took a sod farm and envisioned the town of Spectre, which was then built from the ground up. It is a must-see in movie history. The town of Spectre still stands today in Wetumpka, Alabama, 15 miles north of Montgomery, Alabama. Tim is a beautiful soul, and a kind, beautiful human being.

My biggest dream at the moment:

It has been my lifelong hope to have a movie made about the worst, most catastrophic flood in U.S. history, the May 31st Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889. It has much in common with the Titanic, which through neglect and arrogance ultimately led to her sinking. The story of the Titanic has been told. However, the story of Johnstown in 1889 has never been told through a movie and somehow became just a footnote in history over time.

The 1889 Johnstown flood was not only preventable, it was the result of the arrogance of the wealthy steel titans of the time, who neglected to care for and repair an earthen dam at the expense of maintaining their exclusive Southfork Club to their liking. This would prove to be catastrophic beyond measure.

Although I grew up in the small coal mining town of Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania, I was a resident of Johnstown from 2005 until I moved to San Diego in 2022. I was actually born in Johnstown, as most of our nearest hospitals were there.

In Johnstown. 2,209 people died. Yes, 99 entire families died, including 396 children. Heartbreakingly, 124 women and 198 men were left widowed. More than 750 victims were never identified and rest in the Plot of the Unknown in Grandview Cemetery in Westmont, a Township of Johnstown. Bodies were found as far away as Cincinnati, and as late as 1911.

Roughly 1,600 homes were destroyed and 17 million dollars worth of property damage was done. Four square miles of downtown Johnstown were completely destroyed. The pile of debris at the stone bridge covered 30 acres. The distance between the dam that failed and Johnstown was 14 miles. The dam was owned by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, an exclusive club that counted Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick– the steel titans of their time–as members.

The dam contained 20 million tons of water before it gave way. This is about the same amount of water that goes over Niagara Falls in 36 minutes. Floodlines as high as 89 feet above river level were found. The great wave was 35 to 40 feet high and hit Johnstown at 40 miles per hour.

The force of the flood swept several locomotives weighing 170,000 pounds as far as 4,800 feet away. Within the U.S. and from 18 foreign countries, $3,742,818.78 were collected for the Johnstown relief effort.

The American Red Cross, led by Clara Barton and organized in 1881, arrived in Johnstown on June 5, 1889. It was the first major peacetime disaster relief effort for the Red Cross, and Johnstown was Clara’s first arrival to a peacetime catastrophe of epic proportions.

Johnstown has suffered additional significant floods in its history, including in 1936 and 1977.

Subsequently, my mother and I were caught in the 1977 Johnstown flood, and were unable to get out after finishing a long session of my figure skating training. I will never forget that harrowing experience, which words cannot convey.

At 4:00 a.m. somehow, under the record-breaking flashes of lightning that were our only light, my mother and I made it to the bottom of Pergim Hill, the entrance into Nanty Glo, only to be met by a volunteer fireman telling us that a) Nanty Glo was flooded, and b) there was no way we could have made it out, because the dam had burst.

I never forgot the horrors my eyes had seen. It was from that moment on in 1977 that 1889 struck a chord in my mind and my heart. It would be the beginning of a lifelong journey and passion to have the story of Johnstown, 1889 be told through a movie.

In 1996, a documentary about this flood was made. It would capture the hearts of many who had never heard about what happened on May 31st, 1889. It also captivated their minds, because it was a disaster that did not need to happen and was preventable. It would strike a chord with all who watched. So much so that the documentary would go on to win an Academy Award. I am hopeful that The Heart of Hollywood Studios or another major Hollywood Studio will take interest in this story which must be told. Perhaps, only then can the souls of the Unknown finally rest. I would have to add that I am living part of dream residing in my neighborhood nestled in Beverly Hills, The Miracle Mile, In view of The Iconic Hollywood sign and West Hollywood. A girl who came from a very small coal mining town of very humble beginnings.

Denice Marie Paskovski is an international model and actress , who has appeared on major shows like the Magnifique Fashion Showcase. She was scouted by America’s Next Top Model contestant Victoria Henley. She has also graced the runways of places like Japan and Hawaii, and has earned herself the title The Model to Watch. Indeed, this go-getter is hailed as a must-watch personality for a good reason. Last November, the Uber model was crowned Miss Fashion Global Humanitarian Queen 2023.

Aside from dominating the fashion industry with her modeling prowess, Denice Marie is also no stranger to the movie and entertainment scene. This multi-talented figure was cast in Tim Burton’s Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor.

As if making her mark on the worlds of fashion and film is not already impressive enough, Denice Marie is also an army veteran who has worked in Military Intelligence and has held a Top Secret Security Clearance. Indeed, she is the model to watch.

Denice Marie Paskovski is the Winner of the FACE OF AMERICA Contest 2024 and participant of The Cinderella of New York Contest 2024 and Internationa community.

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