Jamaica teens Lilliam Uribe, 12, and sister, Tiffany, 11, brought home 17 trophies between them during the Miss Chiquitita Pageant held in May, but Lilliam took home an additional honor - a full college scholarship - from the contest for young women of Latina decent.
Lilliam was awarded a full, four-year scholarship to the City University of New York (CUNY) of her choice, and on Friday, September 8, the 5'4”, young beauty was presented with a letter documenting the award by Jay Hershenson, Secretary and Vice Chancellor of the CUNY system.
“That is a great accomplishment,” said Hildebrando Uribe, Lilliam's beaming father, who stood alongside his daughter and wife, Sandra, for the letter's presentation.
A seventh grader at M.S. 202 in Ozone Park, where she is enrolled in the Advanced Regents Program, Lilliam wowed the judges with her academic marks, poise, and performances - singing “Un Alma Sentenciada” by Thalia and dancing to “Hips Don't Lie,” by Shakira.
“[Lilliam] won very clearly,” said Patricia Mahecha, Board Member for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce who organized the event with Victoria Schneps-Yunis, publisher of The Queens Courier and El Correo de Queens newspapers. “All of the girls did their best. Some were as young as four [years old]; they were like little actresses.”
“It gave all the girls a chance to show their talents and potential,” Lilliam said, saying that the chance to win a scholarship had lured her into the contest. “Pageants aren't all about beauty but also who you are and what you do.”
During the pageant, four age groups of girls competed for top honors in 13 categories, but all of the 52 young women who participated felt like winners in the end.
“Every girl won a trophy or a medal,” Mahecha said, explaining that two girls in the 12- to 14-year-old bracket were awarded scholarships - Lilliam to CUNY and Sylvana Azana, the runner-up, to Plaza College in Jackson Heights.
Lilliam said that she hopes to use the scholarship to study either journalism or the performing arts. A flourishing writer, she made a storybook in class last year, entitled “Where are the gifts, Mommy?” about a Colombian girl whose parents couldn't afford any presents at Christmastime.
“I like to write where you can use all of your imagination,” she said.
For Lilliam, she has five years to make up her mind about which of her passions she will pursue in college, but Hershenson advised her to get a head start.
“It's really a changing world with the new opportunities to take college level courses,” he said. “It is never too early to start thinking about college.”
For girls interested in participating in next year's Miss Chiquitita Pageant, classes and meetings begin on Wednesday, September 20. For more information, contact Mahecha at modelamos@yahoo.com.
Pageant winner receives her scholarship
By Christina Santucci
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