“Finishing my career is my priority, because my diploma will be the only crown I can get without an expiration date.”
If you google her name several results will pop up. She has been writing for Her Campus UPRM since last semester. Also, she is the current Miss Continente Americano Teen. Unlike most people her age, she is pretty clear about what she wants, and what her priorities are. Meet this week’s CAAMpus Cutie, the charming, authentic and beautiful, inside out, María del Rocío.
Name: María del Rocío Colón González
Age: 18
Year of Study: Second Year
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Villalba, P.R.
Relationship Status: Single
HC: As a feminist, how would you respond to people who say that beauty pageants are shallow and denigrating against women?
María: I will tell them that there is a lot more than meets the eye. It takes a lot of sacrifice and discipline to triumph in a beauty pageant, you need to be the whole package. I see every competition I go into as a challenge to improve myself in every way. It is a combination of being physically fit, emotionally stable, intellectually prepared, but mostly you need to stay down to earth, to reflect your qualities above all, to allow who you are and what you have to offer to the world to stand out above your physical attributes, that is the challenge.
HC: Best pageantry experience:
María: The main charity cause that the Miss Teen World Organization sponsors is helping kids with cancer. I remember being at a children’s hospital doing visitations along with fellow contestants. Miss Ponce asked the mom of one of the patients if we could pray for them. We did, and moments after the prayer the doctor came into the room and informed the family that the meds they had been struggling to find for the kid had finally arrived to the pharmacy, and that she could go home with her, because she was stable after her last round of chemo. That experience somehow marked me. I did an essay about it for the pageant and that is how my passion for writing emerged.
HC: Do you see yourself competing again anytime soon?
María: Yes, absolutely! It is an honor to stand on stage and be Puerto Rico, there is no way I will let that chance pass in a future.I would love to compete in one of the major national pageants. But first, I have to focus on college. Finishing my career is my priority, because my diploma will be the only crown I can get without an expiration date.
HC: If you had to change something about yourself (cosmetically), in order to compete in a pageant, would you do it?
María: Definitely not. I have been insinuated a couple of times that I should fix a few things, but I do not feel the need to. I am comfortable with my appearance and that is all that matters. If it is not good enough for a pageant then it will not be, but I would never make a permanent change on myself for something that is temporary.
“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, yet it is a lot more than being aesthetically pleasant. Beauty is kindness, compassion and empathy. It is a reflection of the image you have of yourself. There is nothing sadder than having a pretty face but a shallow soul.”
HC: Besides pageantry, which are your hobbies?
María: I love to read, I literally devour books. Also, I played soccer until 12th grade, but after getting hemorrhagic dengue the doctor forbid me to play anymore. During 8 years I played the saxophone for the Banda Escolar de Juana Díaz, considered the best band in Puerto Rico.
HC: What does beauty means to you?
María: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, yet it is a lot more than being aesthetically pleasant. In the pageant world you meet many women that are not on the favorite’s lists, yet they charm with their personality and talents. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, yet it is a lot more than being aesthetically pleasant. Beauty is kindness, compassion and empathy. It is a
reflection of the image you have of yourself. There is nothing sadder than having a pretty face but a shallow heart.
HC: If you weren’t beautiful, would your life be any different?
María: Well, it wouldn’t. If I didn’t had a “pretty face” maybe I couldn’t be beauty queen, but I would still be me. I make sure to be as authentic as I can with the people that surround me, and I usually never tell anybody at first about the whole pageant thing. I want people to see me for me, for my essence, to be sure they love me for who I am and nothing more.
HC: What do you like the most about writing for Her Campus UPRM?
María: The fact that we get to have a voice within the UPRM community is pretty powerful. We can use our skills to advocate for what matters. Yet my favorite part is how everybody in the group empowers and supports each other. Everybody is so talented and unique, I feel lucky to be a part of this amazing group of women.