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09/01/2019
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Neena Cabarles, For Pacific Daily News USA TODAY NETWORK Published 1:06 p.m. ChT Jan. 9, 2019
(Photo: Bert Duarte/ For PDN)
From learning how to put on fake lashes to taking a stand for her chosen advocacy Kirsten "Ten" Dahilig is wearing her crown and title seeking ways to make an impact in our community, she is this year’s Miss International Guam winner.
Get to know the stunning beauty with her Q&A below:
Q: What did you do to personally prepare for the pageant?
A: “Personally, I hate wearing heels and doing a full face of make-up. I only recently learned how to put false eyelashes on. There was a lot of preparation that needed to happen, not that I’ve gotten all of that stuff down yet but I did a lot of rehearsing in heels. Rosco, my pageant mentor, spent a lot of time helping me learn to walk and carry myself in heels, and practice my routine.”
Q: What was the process like during the pageant?
A: “There was a good mix of rehearsals every week to practice our routine as far as formations during swimsuit and evening gown.We did a lot of events to get people involved in the community. It’s not just a beauty pageant. We want to show the community that we also do other things as well. We did events like Relay for Life and did volunteer work at the hospital and with Island Girl Power. Besides that, we went to events for our sponsors. There was a lot of work we each did individually. Pageants are a lot more than what people give them credit for. You have to (raise funds) on your own to pay for dresses, make up artists, and hair stylists. I was working three jobs at the start of this and I needed to take time from work to devote time to rehearsing. We all put a lot of time getting our routines down and practicing our Q&A’s. Usually, there would be a prelim and then the pageant but this year it was all in one. There was so much going on and it was pretty exhausting.”
Q: What was the greatest challenge you faced during the pageant?
A: “The greatest challenge for me would be the pressure of being under the public eye. Since I won the title I’ve realized that I can’t just do whatever I want. I have to realize that there a lot of people watching me now. The reason I joined the pageant was because I have a lot of nieces and nephews that look up to me. I want to be the role model that they can look up to. We’re all human, so it’s not like I’m going to be perfect but its realizing that a lot of what I do is for the next generation. I have to take into account what people expect of me because I am representing my island and that is a responsibility as well as a privilege. I take it seriously but not to the point where I can’t be myself. There has to be a balance.”
Q: What was your greatest takeaway experience?
A: “Besides having the opportunity to promote my platform, the best experience was making friendships. It sounds cliché but it was great being able to find women in the community who are making moves and who are encouraging other women instead of tearing them down. There were several women in the pageant that were very sure of themselves and confident and that had something bigger that they are working towards. Meeting girls like that was a great takeaway. All of the connections and opportunities I have had since the pageant have been awesome.”
Q: What is your advocacy?
A: “To raise awareness against sexual abuse. I want to find different ways to fight the stigma. So many people are afraid to speak out because they feel ashamed about being a victim and they shouldn’t feel that way. A big reason I joined is to have the opportunity to speak about my advocacy and make an impact on the island. It is a matter that is close to my heart. In my Q&A I spoke about being sexually abused as a child. We need to stand up for our youth and tell them that someone doing that to them is not OK. There are huge ramifications to sexual abuse and we need to talk about it and have more programs for counseling. I feel like if I don’t speak about it, who will? I don’t expect someone who hasn’t gone through the same thing to talk about it and if I am in a better place to help someone else out, even if it’s just by saying, “Hey, I’ve been through it too,” then it’s worth it for me.”
Q: What are your future plans and goals?
A: “I’m just seeing where all this takes me for now. I’m excited to be working with GVB and traveling to represent the island. I am ready for the opportunities to help wherever I can and excited to see what ways I can make an impact on the community and be more involved. I will be going back to school eventually, majoring in communications with a public relations focus. I’m proud to say that I will be the first in my family to have a degree once I get it.”
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