full name date of birth family occupation status children

denise alyssa pagani february 2nd, 1986 + 29 antonio pagani (father), isabella pagani (mother) co-owner of buttercup bakery and freelance advertising consultant love isn't brains, children. lucas daniel pagani (adoptive son, b. august 4th, 2011)

Denise Pagani was born as the only child to Antonio and Isabella Pagani on February 2nd, 1986. Her two liberal parents lived in Atlanta and raised her to be a free thinker from the day she was born. Her father was a political journalist with Democrat beliefs and her mother worked as an Art History professor at Agnes Scott college and taught her the values of being a strong and independent woman. Despite her sunny demeanor and ability to get what she wanted with a flash of a grin, she was riddled with insecurities and the need for people pleasing at an early age. From her childhood to her teen years, Denise changed from an energetic young child to a sullen teenager once she entered high school. It was at first chalked up to your run of the mill teenage angst, despite rampant family history of depression. Denise's paternal aunt had succumb to mental illness and committed suicide when she was ten. Her own father fell into a deep depression after the incident but refused to seek treatment, due to his own stubborn nature and inability to accept that he was struggling with the ramifications of his sister's death. At the age of fifteen, Denise was diagnosed with clinical depression and put on medication while regularly attending therapy sessions. The combination helped her progress through high school and her experience was a pleasant one with a dash of run of the mill teenage angst and boy drama.

College took her to Chapel Hill in North Carolina. Denise had gone to college without a clue in the world about what her future should be. After all, this had been the girl who changed her mind at least once a week about what she wanted to be when she finally "grew up". At first, Denise gained an interest in radio after joining the school radio station and firmly decided that she would major in Communication Studies and become a world famous radio personality. An internship during the course of her summer between her sophomore and junior years opened her eyes up to the possibilities of what she could do with her degree. The fields of public relations, marketing, and advertising appealed to her social nature. It wasn't long before Denise was diving head first into business classes she never dreamed of taking and slaving away at her books. The work paid off with her degree in her hand in 2008 after a bumpy ride at UNC, her personal life had its share of ups and downs all throughout her college experience. But she had grown from the people pleasing freshman to a more self assured girl.

Denise found herself in New York City after graduating, fighting her way tooth and nail to prove she was worth her salt among the big boys in advertising. Her apartment may have been rundown and she may have grown more disillusioned with people but her tenacity impressed those higher than her on the corporate ladder. To sweeten the pot, she had finally found herself in a mature and secure relationship where she wasn't second guessing every move or twist and turn. That was until, of course, her beloved fiance broke off the engagement and Denise responded by packing up and moving across the country to California where she had friends in the area. At first, it was difficult for her to get used to the change of pace from residing in Brooklyn to that of Orange County. She worked her way up the corporate ladder in the world of advertising all the way to E! network. She was lucky in her career but unlucky in love, feeling like the hapless female lead of some cliche romcom that couldn't get it right with a path of failed relationships. Despite her own personal failures in the romance department, she still wanted that dream of a husband and a happy family.

Recently, Denise has decided to take matters into her own hands. She doesn't have to wait for a man to be a part of a happy family and weighed her options. Due to the nature of antidepressants and her own battle with depression and anxiety, she couldn't risk getting off of her medication for a healthy pregnancy. Surrogacy and adoption financial costs that would set her back a pretty penny, as well as quite the waiting list that wasn't sometimes kind to a never married, single female. Denise decided that the best route for her is to become a foster mother when there are plenty of unloved children in need in her own county. She's been certified as a foster mother through Orange County but has yet to get the call. In the mean time, Denise does freelancing advertising consultant work in the area and has built up a reasonable clientele base through her connections. She also has a hand in her friend, Molly's bakery. It's the perfect fit for Denise as she waits to for the next phase of her life to start.