R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss USA 2022, has now been crowned Miss Universe 2022. The competition was held in her home country, in the Ernest N Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. Women from more than 84 countries participated in the beauty pageant for the coveted title. Indian Divita Rai made it to the top 16 but couldn’t make it further. What gave the winning push to Miss USA was her answer to the final question that won everyone’s hearts.
One of the questions that the judges asked Gabriel was, “Miss Universe recently made an inclusive change allowing mothers and married women to compete this year. What’s another change you’d like to see and why?” Her answer, which is now going viral on social media, was about how we should not be held back by our age.
She said, “For me, I would like to see an age increase because I am 28 years old and that is the oldest age to compete. I think it’s a beautiful thing. My favourite quote is ‘If not now, then when?’ As a woman, I believe that age does not define us. It’s not tomorrow, it’s yesterday but it’s now. The time is now that you can go after what you want.”
The second question that she was asked was, “If you win Miss Universe, how will you work to demonstrate this is an empowering and progressive organisation?” Gabriel is also an eco-friendly fashion designer, model, and sewing instructor, so her answer reflected her love for her craft. She replied, “Well, I would use it to be a transformational leader. As a very passionate designer, been sewing for 13 years, I use fashion as a force for good. In my industry, I’m cutting down on pollution through recycled materials when I make my clothing. I teach sewing classes to women that have survived from human trafficking and domestic violence. And I say that because it is so important to invest in others, invest in our community, and use your unique talent to make a difference. We all have something special, and when we plant those seeds to other people in our life, we transform them, and we use that as a vehicle for change.” (sic)
According to the official website of Miss Universe, she is the first Filipino-American to win Miss USA and wants to be the voice for Asian Americans.
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