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President Jeffrey R Holland (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) said and I quote, “God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has." I have big dreams and I believe I can fulfill each one of them with dedication, perseverance and in patience, faith and prayers.
Skin
Challenge
As I
recall, I joined a school pageant as a child. I remember this pure, jovial
feeling of being cheered by a crowd of excited and supportive parents, friends
and relatives. I just enjoyed that. I was a child then. As a young adult,
I didn’t really entertain the thought of joining the glamor world of beauty
pageants. How could I? I have psoriasis. Psoriasis
is a common skin condition that causes skin redness and irritation. Most people
with psoriasis have thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches called
scales. When I was 16 years old,
there was a huge storm in my country, Philippines, where our house was flooded
and I helped my family get our belongings out of our house. The day after the
storm, I got rashes in my arms and the following day it was all over my body. I
thought it would go away because I always had skin asthma. Weeks and years
passed, my outbreaks persisted. I remember the countless days and nights when I
pleaded in prayer for the rashes to go away. Embarrassed and shy of my unflattering
skin, I would frequently wear a jacket over my school uniform even in a hot and
humid climate. You can just imagine how that would stir up awkward questions
and confusion among my teenage peers. With continual silent prayers in my
heart, I must say, I handled my peers’ curiosity well.
Family
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| with my family |
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| my special sister |
My Mom’s poem
I wouldn't have had known the pains and joys of having children until I became
a mother myself.
I marveled at each girl's first step.
Her first word.
The first prayer uttered with much difficulty
And all the other 'firsts' that followed.
Who wouldn't remember the endless and silly questions asked out of nowhere
Or the countless times I was given and told, "Mommy, flowers for you".
Usually these colorful flowers were picked on the chapel's grounds and were given after Sunday meetings.
I can still picture each girl running to me with flowers in her hand, and I would melt with happiness.
And after returning each little girl's kiss I would look towards heaven and thanked God, imploring that these misses would remain the cute little imps forever.
BUT SOON THEY GREW UP.
Then with each new day a revelation
comes to me.
I am a mother, so close to God.
I am His instrument in many ways
(Like my own mother, Felicitas, was to me).
So I must develop
Patience,
Unconditional Love,
Virtue,
Hope,
Purity,
Faith, Strength, and above all else,
Love of God.
As I build my girls' characters
I, too, must build mine.
That someday when I face my Maker
I will truly account to Him His children
Who were once mine...
So deep in my heart I pray
That each girl will fondly remember
That once, on earth,
I was Maria Evelyn, their goodly mother...
I marveled at each girl's first step.
Her first word.
The first prayer uttered with much difficulty
And all the other 'firsts' that followed.
Who wouldn't remember the endless and silly questions asked out of nowhere
Or the countless times I was given and told, "Mommy, flowers for you".
Usually these colorful flowers were picked on the chapel's grounds and were given after Sunday meetings.
I can still picture each girl running to me with flowers in her hand, and I would melt with happiness.
And after returning each little girl's kiss I would look towards heaven and thanked God, imploring that these misses would remain the cute little imps forever.
 |
| with my mom and sisters |
Then with each new day a revelation
comes to me.
I am a mother, so close to God.
I am His instrument in many ways
(Like my own mother, Felicitas, was to me).
So I must develop
Patience,
Unconditional Love,
Virtue,
Hope,
Purity,
Faith, Strength, and above all else,
Love of God.
As I build my girls' characters
I, too, must build mine.
That someday when I face my Maker
I will truly account to Him His children
Who were once mine...
So deep in my heart I pray
That each girl will fondly remember
That once, on earth,
I was Maria Evelyn, their goodly mother...
Education
After finishing High School in the Philippines, I pursued a
higher education in America. I always dreamt of pursuing a higher education in
Utah, United States. I applied at LDS Business College, located in downtown
Salt Lake in the state of Utah. At first, I didn’t pass the English test but I
did it the second time I tried. I finished my Associate’s Degree at the college
and was on the honor’s list. I then applied at BYU in Provo to pursue a Bachelor’s
degree in Political Science. I am now on my second year at the university.
College is demanding. I encountered many challenges but I
have learned to balance church and school. I believe that if I put Heavenly Father first, things will
fall into place.
Talent
Portion
I was flattered when one of the judges told me that she was in a
lot of pageants but she never has given anyone a perfect score beside me! I am
humbled by many facebook comments and compliments about my piano rendition. One
of the photographers, Tita Jennifer, posted this picture with this description:
“She started with the cute, “Chopstick” piece and then went off like
Beethoven! Andrea’s rendition stole the crowd’s heart. What a talent!”
Playing
the Piano
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| Talent portion |
I was about 6 years old when my mom got me a second-hand but sturdy piano. A piano teacher would come three times a week to teach me at our house. My tiny little fingers were restless and good and I thought that playing the piano would not only de-stress my mother but also myself. As time went by, I realized that I have a talent! I played at home everyday and tried to play in church as well. I really thank my parents for their patience and effort to enroll me in piano schools even if these were far away from our place. While some teenage girls would hang out friends at the mall on a Saturday weekend, my sister and I religiously attended our music lessons.
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| tender moment with my sister, Guia who also designed my gown. I gave her all the credit for my Best in Gown award |
Joining
the Pageant
When I was approached to join Miss UN USA, I said yes
without hesitation. I thought of it as an opportunity for me to explore my
potentials. Preparing for the pageant wasn’t easy. I only had four months to
prepare on top my hectic college life. I prayed for courage to fulfill my many
dreams.
When the pageant came, I remember being so calm. One of
the contestants, Jamie from Peru said she was nervous. I had this compelling
feeling to pray with her. I didn’t know if she’s a Christian but we did pray
together. Prayers. I don’t how
many times I said my prayers throughout the duration of the pageant. I really wanted to win, basically not
for the title itself, but for the opportunity to represent young girls struggling
with self-esteem and skin ailment like mine.
I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to be the Miss
United Nations 2012. We have many trials in life and I always believe that we
shouldn’t walk out from our trials because at the end of every trial lies the blessing from heaven.”
- Andrea Dayne Soleta
Miss United Nations USA 2012
