How many pageants have you previously competed in? (Please include which system and your placement)
After being approached in the mall by a pageant dress designer who urged me to compete in a
preliminary pageant (that was literally a week away) I
competed in my first pageant ever at the age of 21. It was for the Miss
Florida USA preliminary title of Miss Kissimmee USA. I won that preliminary
title and then went on to Miss Florida USA 2014, where I placed 3rdrunner-
up. Falling in love with pageantry and everything it represented, I ran the
following year for Miss Central Florida USA 2015. I won that title and went
on to Miss Florida USA for the second %me, where I placed 1strunner-up. I
always knew that the Miss USA system was my home, but I decided to take
the opportunity that following year to run for Miss Florida World America,
the preliminary to Miss World America in the Miss World system. I
competed at the national pageant and placed in the Top 12. It was a great
experience, but I was ready to come home to the Miss Florida USA. I
competed for the preliminary title of Miss Tampa Bay USA this past
December, I won that %tle and will be competing again on the Miss Florida
USA stage this July!
What made you decide to compete in Miss Florida USA 2017?
The Miss Florida USA pageant system was the first I ever competed in. Prior
to pageants, I was a professional ballet dancer. I su6ered an injury during
my freshmen year of college that eventually ended my ballet career. It was a
devastating time for me, I felt depressed and lost because ballet was my life
up until that point; I identified myself as a ballerina. When I was approached
the mall by the pageant dress designer that introduced me to pageants,
he was a blessing in disguise. I always say I didn’t find
pageants, pageants found me (right when I needed them most)! The Miss
Florida USA system was where it all started for me and when I competed in
my first prelim, it was love at first sight. Pageants, specifically the USA
system, combined everything that I already loved and stood for: education,
values, friendship, community service, advocating for per%nent causes,
being a role model and leader in my community and exuding confidence
and humility on and o6 the stage. I came to realize that one of the most
difficult times in my life was actually the greatest blessing in disguise. If it
wasn’t for my ballet injury, I would have never competed in pageants and
would have missed out on such an incredible world that I now cannot
imagine living without! I have such a love and passion for competing in
pageants and I have made my best friends through this industry. I came
close to realizing my dream of becoming Miss Florida USA during the 2015
season when I placed first-runner-up. Being so close to my goal only made
me want to come back and try again. When you have a dream or aspiration
in life, you cannot give up, and that is why I am competing in Miss Florida
USA 2017!
Outside of competing in pageants, what do you like to do for fun?
Well of course I love to dance! Not only classical ballet, but all forms of
dance. Whether its in my room, at a party or with my family in the kitchen
(lol), dancing is still such a passion of mine. I also love modeling, acting and
hosting; my background in dance only signifies my love for all performance
arts and the arts in general. I love fashion and styling my friends and family.
I enjoy modeling and being able to do that for work. I like to take on a scene
and embody all di6erent types of characters through acting. Furthermore, I
love hosting live events on stage and in front of the camera! I enjoy painting
and drawing as well. I love to spend %me with my friends and family and
also to travel. Lastly, I love being involved in causes that are important to
me. I love hanging out with my friends from the Best Buddies Organization
and working on fundraising projects with my team at A Kid’s Place of Tampa
Bay, an organization that provides a safe and loving home to abused,
neglected and abandoned children
Give a brief bio about yourself.
I graduated with Cum Laude Honors from the University of Central Florida
with a B.S. in Political Science (Pre-Law) and a minor in Business
Administration. I am entering my second year of law school at Stetson
University College of Law, and am very proud to have made honor roll thus
far. On top of going to school, I am a working model in Florida. I do
everything from print work, to runway, to live TV modeling for Home
Shopping Network (HSN) and commercial work as well. One of my greatest
modeling experiences was walking for Mercedes Benz International Fashion
Week in the Dominican Republic where I walked for impeccable designers
and opened the show for the incredible JOVANI. I was a former professional
ballet dancer. I danced with the Orlando Ballet Company and studied at
New York City Ballet’s school on full scholarship. I also co-own a local
business in Tampa Bay.
If you win your state title, what do you hope to accomplish throughout
your reign?
I hope to organize fundraising events for two organizations that are
extremely close to my heart, Best Buddies and A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay. I
hope that I can also work with other charitable organizations throughout
the state of Florida and bring awareness to the foster children population
and people living with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). I
am a people lover, so I hope to obtain this title in order to inspire and touch
other people’s lives in a positive way. I want to be a role model and example
to others that with hard work and dedication anything is possible. My family
immigrated to this country (specifically the state of Florida) in search of the
American Dream, leaving everything they had behind in Cuba in order to
provide a better life for their children and future grandchildren. I truly feel
that I am a product of what the American Dream stands for and embody
what it is to be the modern- day American woman. My family’s story of
sacrifice and hard work is very similar to so many others here in this
amazing state and country and I want to represent all American immigrant
families on the Miss USA stage. God willing, I want to make my state proud
by being the first Miss Florida USA and Cuban-American to win the title of
Miss USA.
What is your dream job (besides being Miss USA, of course!)
I love and have always loved being on stage and on camera. To combine
that love with the love of my country would be a dream come true. That
being said, my dream job is to be a political or entertainment news
television host!
After being approached in the mall by a pageant dress designer who urged me to compete in a
preliminary pageant (that was literally a week away) I
competed in my first pageant ever at the age of 21. It was for the Miss
Florida USA preliminary title of Miss Kissimmee USA. I won that preliminary
title and then went on to Miss Florida USA 2014, where I placed 3rdrunner-
up. Falling in love with pageantry and everything it represented, I ran the
following year for Miss Central Florida USA 2015. I won that title and went
on to Miss Florida USA for the second %me, where I placed 1strunner-up. I
always knew that the Miss USA system was my home, but I decided to take
the opportunity that following year to run for Miss Florida World America,
the preliminary to Miss World America in the Miss World system. I
competed at the national pageant and placed in the Top 12. It was a great
experience, but I was ready to come home to the Miss Florida USA. I
competed for the preliminary title of Miss Tampa Bay USA this past
December, I won that %tle and will be competing again on the Miss Florida
USA stage this July!
What made you decide to compete in Miss Florida USA 2017?
The Miss Florida USA pageant system was the first I ever competed in. Prior
to pageants, I was a professional ballet dancer. I su6ered an injury during
my freshmen year of college that eventually ended my ballet career. It was a
devastating time for me, I felt depressed and lost because ballet was my life
up until that point; I identified myself as a ballerina. When I was approached
the mall by the pageant dress designer that introduced me to pageants,
he was a blessing in disguise. I always say I didn’t find
pageants, pageants found me (right when I needed them most)! The Miss
Florida USA system was where it all started for me and when I competed in
my first prelim, it was love at first sight. Pageants, specifically the USA
system, combined everything that I already loved and stood for: education,
values, friendship, community service, advocating for per%nent causes,
being a role model and leader in my community and exuding confidence
and humility on and o6 the stage. I came to realize that one of the most
difficult times in my life was actually the greatest blessing in disguise. If it
wasn’t for my ballet injury, I would have never competed in pageants and
would have missed out on such an incredible world that I now cannot
imagine living without! I have such a love and passion for competing in
pageants and I have made my best friends through this industry. I came
close to realizing my dream of becoming Miss Florida USA during the 2015
season when I placed first-runner-up. Being so close to my goal only made
me want to come back and try again. When you have a dream or aspiration
in life, you cannot give up, and that is why I am competing in Miss Florida
USA 2017!
Outside of competing in pageants, what do you like to do for fun?
Well of course I love to dance! Not only classical ballet, but all forms of
dance. Whether its in my room, at a party or with my family in the kitchen
(lol), dancing is still such a passion of mine. I also love modeling, acting and
hosting; my background in dance only signifies my love for all performance
arts and the arts in general. I love fashion and styling my friends and family.
I enjoy modeling and being able to do that for work. I like to take on a scene
and embody all di6erent types of characters through acting. Furthermore, I
love hosting live events on stage and in front of the camera! I enjoy painting
and drawing as well. I love to spend %me with my friends and family and
also to travel. Lastly, I love being involved in causes that are important to
me. I love hanging out with my friends from the Best Buddies Organization
and working on fundraising projects with my team at A Kid’s Place of Tampa
Bay, an organization that provides a safe and loving home to abused,
neglected and abandoned children
Give a brief bio about yourself.
I graduated with Cum Laude Honors from the University of Central Florida
with a B.S. in Political Science (Pre-Law) and a minor in Business
Administration. I am entering my second year of law school at Stetson
University College of Law, and am very proud to have made honor roll thus
far. On top of going to school, I am a working model in Florida. I do
everything from print work, to runway, to live TV modeling for Home
Shopping Network (HSN) and commercial work as well. One of my greatest
modeling experiences was walking for Mercedes Benz International Fashion
Week in the Dominican Republic where I walked for impeccable designers
and opened the show for the incredible JOVANI. I was a former professional
ballet dancer. I danced with the Orlando Ballet Company and studied at
New York City Ballet’s school on full scholarship. I also co-own a local
business in Tampa Bay.
If you win your state title, what do you hope to accomplish throughout
your reign?
I hope to organize fundraising events for two organizations that are
extremely close to my heart, Best Buddies and A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay. I
hope that I can also work with other charitable organizations throughout
the state of Florida and bring awareness to the foster children population
and people living with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). I
am a people lover, so I hope to obtain this title in order to inspire and touch
other people’s lives in a positive way. I want to be a role model and example
to others that with hard work and dedication anything is possible. My family
immigrated to this country (specifically the state of Florida) in search of the
American Dream, leaving everything they had behind in Cuba in order to
provide a better life for their children and future grandchildren. I truly feel
that I am a product of what the American Dream stands for and embody
what it is to be the modern- day American woman. My family’s story of
sacrifice and hard work is very similar to so many others here in this
amazing state and country and I want to represent all American immigrant
families on the Miss USA stage. God willing, I want to make my state proud
by being the first Miss Florida USA and Cuban-American to win the title of
Miss USA.
What is your dream job (besides being Miss USA, of course!)
I love and have always loved being on stage and on camera. To combine
that love with the love of my country would be a dream come true. That
being said, my dream job is to be a political or entertainment news
television host!