MS GUATEMALA 2016: VIRGINIA ARGUETA
INSTAGRAM: @arguetavirginia
Photography: IRVIN RIVERA
Styling & Fashion: ROCKY GATHERCOLE
Make-up: MARIELA RUIZ
Hair: SERGIO FERNANDO AREVALO
Photo Asst: SUJAN CHASE
Who is Virginia? if you can describe yourself now to your 5 years-old self, what would you say?
Virginia is a dreamy, disciplined, hyperactive, persevering, and struggling girl to achieve her dreams. A girl who has had clear her goals and objectives since she was a child.
I grew up in a small town in my country called Jalpatagua, I studied in public schools, I grew up among poor people, people who taught me the importance of simplicity, humility and, above all, loyalty.
I am a person who prides himself on his roots, a person to whom God has given wonderful opportunities, opportunities that I want to take advantage of to return happiness and love to the people who saw me grow up.
What made you decide to join Miss Universe Guatemala?
What made me part of the Miss Universe Guatemala contest was the support of my parents and family. I am a person who has had a life full of challenges; consider the competition of Miss Universe Guatemala an essential challenge to prove to myself that with perseverance and discipline we can achieve everything we want.
Did you feel any pressure after being crowned Miss Universe Guatemala? if so how did you overcome it and how did you prepare to Miss Universe Pageant?
What made me part of the Miss Universe Guatemala contest was the support of my parents and family. I am a person who has had a life full of challenges; consider the competition of Miss Universe Guatemala an essential challenge to prove to myself that with perseverance and discipline we can achieve everything we want.
Did you feel any pressure after being crowned Miss Universe Guatemala? if so how did you overcome it and how did you prepare to Miss Universe Pageant?
The pressure I felt after being crowned was immense, especially since it was the first beauty contest in which I participated, I did not have much experience on the subject.
In countries like mine, having a title of this magnitude is not easy, because there is no culture of beauty, the girls who participate in a beauty contest are not valued as such, there is no credibility in the organizations in charge of these ceremonies and this makes the challenge even more difficult.
As Miss Universe Guatemala, do not count on the financial support of my organization, or any of our government, only have the support of my parents who covered all the expenses in the process of Miss Universe Guatemala and people outside the organization.
Thanks to the support of the people mentioned above, I managed to go to Venezuela to prepare myself for two months in themes of catwalk, hair, makeup, protocol, ethics, general culture, etc. For the Miss Universe pageant.
Did Miss Universe Pageant change you anyway?
Of course the Miss Universe contest changed my life in different aspects.
Helped me to have confidence in myself, gave me 96 different cultures from which I could learn and enrich myself.
Without a doubt the Miss Universe contest has been one of the best experiences of my life. Personally more than a beauty contest, is a platform on which women can empower us, develop different skills to make our way in any work space.
What was your most challenging obstacle that you faced during the pageant season?
There were many obstacles during the contest, but the biggest for me was the loss of my national costume which prevented me from participating in 30% of the competition.
What or who inspires your life in general?
I have always had wonderful people around me who inspire me to keep growing personally and professionally.
But I can say that I am inspired by all those people of my country who dream of many things and for many economic reasons, health, etc. They cannot achieve their dreams.
What inspires me to dream big is to be able to show all the girls of my country that as I have managed to be here, they can achieve all their dreams.
How do you keep yourself fit and georgous ?
For Most of the time I try to eat very health. For many years that healthy eating has become a habit in my life.
I love doing exercises. In fact it is one of my favorite pastimes. My family and friends say that the gym is my second home because I spent most of my time there.
I believe that being healthy means not only being thin or in shape, the most important thing for me is that as people learn to ingest what is good for our brains because our eating depends not only on our physical state but also on the capacities that we can develop and intelligence.
If you are not a beauty queen what else would you being doing and why?
I would definitely will be studying; one of my great dreams has always been to study a Master’s degree in political science in France. Obviously if I had not had this wonderful opportunity to be a beauty queen I would find myself in Paris studying what I love the most.
What is coming up for you next few months/years, what are your big plans?
In fact I still have many dreams; I am currently here in Los Angeles looking for opportunities, since the contest I started with dreaming of being a professional model, an artist, or a television presenter. Would be the first Miss Universe Guatemala that leaves the country to look for job opportunity and this for me is an interesting challenge.
It is also clear that I will continue with my study plans, graduate in the University of my country as a Bachelor in International Relations and study my Masters in Political Science.
What are you most proud of in your Guatemala roots?
I am proud of a thousand things of my country, our culture, the beauty of our places, but above all I am proud of our people, kind, supportive, charitable, human and above all very warm. The essence of our country is reflected in the hearts of our people and that makes me proud to be Guatemalan.
What is your favorite Guatemalan dish?
My favorite dish is the toasted guacamoles or chaomin with corn atol
If you are going to have your own book what title would you give it?
"Everyone who dreams big comes higher than can imagine"
If you will be given the chance to help specific cause what would it be?
Definitely malnutrition, my country is unfortunately one of the countries of Latin America with higher rates of malnutrition. The issue of malnutrition is one of the causes that moves me a lot and I have always said that as Miss Universe Guatemala 2016 although I haven´t longer my title I will always use my image to benefit causes that cooperate with this serious problem affecting children Of our countries.
In my opinion a well-nourished childhood should be a primary theme for each country, children are the future of our planet, we cannot think of a better world, in countries with better capacity, development and intellectual level if our children are not well fed.