I want it to be over already. It’s been a year of hard work with a wonderful team, and today, I feel completely prepared for to represent Venezuela as Miss Universe.

I grew up watching the Miss Venezuela pageant from my home. I even have a video on my Instagram, where I am three years old, and my aunt was shouting, “Look how beautiful the next Miss Venezuela is.” So, imagine for me; I have dreamed of achieving this goal since I was ten, and I’ve been working on this for so long. The fact that I can share this accomplishment with my parents and say to them, “Your daughter is Miss Venezuela,” is a source of pride not only for me but for my entire family, my support network that has been there for me and has been a part of my preparation. It’s pressure, a responsibility, but above all, I feel blessed to represent Venezuela in beauty pageants.

Our motto is to seek and make beauty a movement that empowers women, so having the opportunity to raise the name of Venezuela is one of the best things that has happened to me in my life.

Venezuelan women are often recognized for their strong and powerful personalities. We are known for being hardworking women who accomplish everything we set our minds to. The Miss Venezuela pageant plays a significant role in preparing pageant contestants who can exemplify these qualities that we Venezuelan women possess.

My dad is a musician, and we grew up with art running through our veins. My brother is an artist who paints, and my father can play various stringed instruments. I also learned to play the acoustic guitar, and our shared passion for art runs deep. I began practicing contemporary dance at a young age, dedicating six years to it, and it was this early interest in dance that ultimately led me to enroll in a modelling academy.

My mother was invested in making sure that both my brother and I had training. She came up with the idea to prepare me not only for dance and modeling but also to enroll me in a well-rounded institution where I learn runway modeling, dance, and etiquette. What better way to embark on a journey into the world of beauty pageants than through a modeling school? The desire and excitement to be part of the runway culture is a common sentiment here in our country. From a young age, this passion for pageants ignites the inner fire that Venezuelan women possess.

The most difficult situation, not only for me but for my entire family, was when my grandparents got COVID. Older people with COVID was very worrying for us. My grandparents also already suffered from other illnesses due to their age, and I remember having to take my grandmother to the hospital. And at the moment they were admitting her, I didn’t know if I would see her again. So, the fear of possibly having some last words with such an important person was heart-wrenching for me.

TThankfully, my grandparents are very well today, and I live with them. We made the decision for me to move in with them because of the scare we had. I feel very happy and, above all, blessed to have the opportunity to spend every day with them. This opened my eyes, and I have a new perspective on always seizing every moment and telling my loved ones how much I care about them.

When she crowned me as Miss Venezuela, she asked me a very important question. She asked me if I felt prepared; of course, at that moment when I couldn’t believe I was becoming Miss Venezuela, I replied, “Yes, of course, I have perfect hair, put on the crown.” But then she asked me again, “Diana, did you really analyze the question I asked you at that moment? Are you prepared to take on the responsibility of being Miss Venezuela at Miss Universe? Countless girls will see you as an inspiration right now. Do you feel good? Do you feel prepared?” And that’s when I understood that she was asking me how I wanted to carry out my reign as Miss Venezuela, and that’s where I started working.

That happened before Miss Universe. She participated, and I wanted to meet with her to find out how she felt and her experience with Miss Universe. The best response and advice she gave me was to live in the moment, to enjoy every moment that the pageant would offer me this time.

I owe it to my parents, to the upbringing they gave me from a very young age, to be positive during adversities. To understand that for everything, there will be a positive and a negative comment. I will decide how to feel; I will take the positive or the negative. I will buy the ticket or not and see if those criticisms serve me in my journey as a human being.

I have even taken criticism with humor, something that very few people expect, especially with negative criticism or comments. I do take the time to respond to them, for example, “Oh, you don’t like my outfit, I’ll be waiting for your advice for my next outfit,” and that interaction with those people breaks the ice one way or another so that they don’t feel attacked by my response, but rather, I seek to turn something negative into something positive.