After a year of hard work and competition in singing, modeling and acting, one lucky winner of the Miss Chiquitita 2007 talent pageant won a four-year scholarship to any City University of New York (CUNY) college.
The runner-up won a two-year scholarship to Plaza College in Jackson Heights.
On June 24, in the elegant ballroom of the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel, in Flushing, following a month of preliminary events and 30,000 votes cast by readers of El Correo de Queens on its web site, www.elcorreodequeens.com, the winners were crowned in front a crowd of their families and friends.
The 25 participants displayed their talent and took a turn around the ballroom in their finest dresses during the pageant show that began at 9:30 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. as their parents and friends supported them with signs, songs, and cheers.
Carolina Restrepo, who competed in the 13-14 year-old category, was awarded the Miss Chiquitita 2007 crown and the four-year CUNY scholarship.
“I am very happy with this achievement,” said the emotional, charismatic 13-year-old girl whose parents came from Colombia. She wants to study science when she enters P.S. 189 in Flushing.
Emely Vargas, 14, the runner-up in the competition, received a two-year scholarship to Plaza College in Jackson Heights. “I never imagined that I was going to get to the finals and I thank everyone who believed in me,” Vargas said as she held her trophy. She wants to study marketing with possibly continue modeling.
In the 11-12 category, Natalia Carmona was named the winner; in the 8-10 category, Daniela Garcia was awarded the trophy and in the final category, 4-7 year-olds, Ivette Ruilova won the crown.
Every participant received, in addition to their crowns and trophies, gifts from this year’s sponsors, like laptops from Staples, a Day at the Spa from Dior Spa and other prizes from Sovereign Bank, State Farm and Orbitel.
An important change in this year’s Miss Chiquitita 2007 talent pageant was the addition of Internet voting. Readers were asked to vote for their favorite contestant on El Correo de Queens’ web site, which received 30,000 votes. “The girls were very happy that their families voted from all over the world, even their parents were voting the day of the pageant,” said Patricia Mahecha, director of the pageant.
The girls with the majority of the votes were Emely Vargas and Amaralys Sinchi (13-14), Paola Ocampo and Gabriella Gallego (11-12), Oriana Pino and Vallery Soto (8-10) and Hillary Soto and Ivette Ruilova (4-7). “I think this was an excellent mechanism to see the impact that Miss Chiquitita has in the community,” said Josh Schneps, Associate Editor of El Correo de Queens.
Miss Chiquitita is not a beauty competition but a competition that focuses on Latin talent. “This goes beyond image, it is an activity that focuses on the Hispanic values and artistic abilities of the girls,” said Mahecha, who thanked the media for making this event a success and supporting the education of the girls.
The judges included Mexican actress Geraldine Bazan, Univision channel correspondents Damaris Diaz, Tatiana Jay and Julio Moreno; Amanda Isaac of El Correo de Queens, Janeth Mendoza of State Farm and Lissete Rojas, Queen of the 2006 Hispanic Parade. The pageant was conducted by Amy Quichiz and the model Silvana Azara.
From the beginning of the registration process until the end, the 25 contestants took dancing, acting, singing, modeling, photography classes and participated in the drawing, essay and jump rope competitions.
Any girls who are interested in participating in Miss Chiquitita 2008 talent pageant can register by calling 718-899-4418.
Miss Chiquitita was sponsored by the Sheraton La Guardia East Hotel; CUNY; State Farm; Sovereign Bank; Clinica Oftalmologia of Cali; Plaza College; Modelamos Talent Agency; Commerce Bank; QPTV (who will air the event); Dior Spa & Salon; Oscar Da Silva; Servientrega; Orbitel; The New Parkway Hospital; Fashion Flowers; Abetex International Brokers; Staples; DJ KIRO; Janeth Gonzalez Photography; and El Correo de Queens.
