Thirteen-year-old Tiffany Uribe is following in her sister’s footsteps. The M.S. 202 eighth grader was crowned Miss Chiquitita on June 24, 2008, two years after her sister Lilliam received the same prestigious honor.
Smiling confidently, three and a half months later, in the office of Queens Courier publisher Victoria Schneps-Yunis, who sponsors the annual Miss Chiquitita event, Uribe spoke of her dream high schools, essentially rattling off a list of who’s who in elite New York City public education. Uribe was accompanied by her parents, Sandra and Hildebrando, Queens Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Vice President Patricia Mahecha and CUNY Senior Vice Chancellor Jay Hershenson, who presented the middle schooler with a $1,000 four-year scholarship to a CUNY senior college.
“The day she [my sister] won it [Miss Chiquitita], I thought to myself, ‘I want to win it too,’” the Ozone Park middle schooler said proudly. Uribe was careful to note, however, that Miss Chiquitita is more than just a beauty pageant. Evidencing the precision and breadth of talent that resulted in her being crowned, Uribe thanked everyone from her choreographer, to her singing teacher, to her parents and friends.
Hershenson praised Uribe for her achievements and her aspirations.
“You are the future,” he said, to echoes of Sandra Uribe proudly repeating his words to her daughter, who maintains a 98.82 Grade Point Average.
Hershenson described a CUNY education system that is “off the charts” with 240,000 students - one complete with challenging honors programs tailored to high-achievers like Uribe. “There’s been a great turnaround in the CUNY system,” he said.
