SPAIN: In an exclusive interview with TCT, model and Miss World Madrid 2023, Maria Victoria Medina Gonzalez shares how engaging in philanthropy and charity will assist one in attaining self-fulfilment that would easily open up new grounds of possibilities.
Maria Gonzalez narrates her journey as a beauty pagent
Maria was crowned as the 2023 Miss World Madrid. In 2023 she will represent the capital of Spain in Tenerife, situated in the Canary Islands, at the Miss World Spain 2023.
Maria has roots in a family of educators, and presently she works at a Compulsory Secondary Education high school as an English Teacher. At the time when she was in university, she commenced teaching languages. She discovered her avid love for fashion after a very long time.
Maria says, “I wanted to participate in the Miss World Spain beauty pageant with a purpose: being a source of inspiration to empower young people.” She adds that she craved to augment the youngsters’ self-confidence and reinstate the fact that it is a woman’s choice to wear whatever she wants unflinchingly, without regrets and being judged. She aspires to help people by spreading awareness in her city and adhering to the saying, “Be a voice to those who cannot speak”.
She was born into a family with amazing parents. She has always been serious about her studies and sound academic career, which motivated her to be a teacher. However, she also aspired to become a beauty pageant.
Maria states, “Since childhood, I liked playing with dolls and dressing up, but I also wanted to serve the people.” She has learnt the power of perseverance through her participation in Miss World Spain. She gave her utmost dedication to combat all difficult situations.
She believes many people consider pageant winners as models with “pretty faces that won a competition.” In reality, these winners are “inspiring women working to make a difference,” being role models who “give back to the community and be a voice for many worthy causes.”
Maria mentions that she is a member of the PROCLADE Foundation, which volunteers minors and young people in desperate positions and those “who are adapting to the new customs of the host country or who are going through the mourning process that involves moving to another country”.
The driving motive behind this is to protect the school dropouts’ children and ensure their safety and well-being. She also adds that this initiative deems fit to “strengthen their self-esteem to generate positive development and learning processes.”
Maria’s association with the education sector has inspired her to dedicate herself to the possibility of such kind of philanthropy as she highlights, “For years, I have dedicated myself to teaching, and I consider this sector a fundamental and integral part of our lives.” At the same time, she has put in a lot of work and dedication to her fashion interests.
Maria has been in the fashion industry for years and has wonderfully combined both sectors. She mentions that it has not been an easy ride, but she continues to have faith in how these difficult times make people stronger and better.
According to Maria, being a beauty pageant winner is a matter of undertaking many responsibilities that involve catering to charity events and countering conflicts that come with “other commitments in daily life.” She adds, “I have always been passionate about the world of modelling and always tried to combine it with my personal life.”
She is also mindful of the limits to work put on by a person on a single day, as this helps her not to get “overwhelmed” even though she encounters times when she feels the need to rush things. Having a clear perspective of the advantages and perks of her work motivates her to progress in life, with her counting on the positive changes she has made in people’s lives.
She says, “Some days it feels like work, but I know how lucky I am most days. I feel gratitude in every aspect of my life. This is what I do, which I pursue with genuine dedication and earnest passion.”
She confessed that being in a beauty pageant was not that easy for her as her parents did not think that the entertainment or the modelling sector would be a proper choice of career route.
After discovering the auditions for Miss World Madrid, she went as she had always wanted to without an iota of fear and by using all the instruments that she had in her power. She adds, “I have been working hard, and my dedication has let me be where I really want to be and change the vision of my surroundings.”
She emphasises the need to work hard to achieve any goal in her final message to the readers. She infers, “I am an ordinary girl who grew up in a simple family and went through a certain series of difficulties that shaped me as a person. Now my life has changed dramatically. I am happy to have the opportunity to represent Madrid in Miss World Spain 2023.”
Also Read: Peaty Talks about His Mental Health: Athlete Says, “I’ve Been on Self-destructive Spiral”
