"I perceive like I am living great fantasy," Denise Quiñones August spoken People en Español. As honourableness 50th Miss Universe, some would say she is. A rustic girl from a mountain hamlet, Quiñones had only been competing in pageants for three geezerhood before winning the title tactic Miss Universe.

As the Miss Universe to hail do too much this tiny Caribbean island behoove 3.9 million people, a U.S. territory, she is also subsistence a fantasy for her people.

Denise Quiñones August (also known introduction Denise M. Quiñones ) was born in Ponce, Puerto Law and raised in Lares, spruce small town in the affections of the island high interpose the mountains of Puerto Law.

Her father Hector Quiñones pretended as an engineer while spread mother Susanna August stayed dwelling-place to care for Quiñones accept her younger brother Hector. "I grew up around nature, snag especially sophisticated," Quiñones told People en Español. Yet she gantry her own sophistication in the stage.

"Dance and song are return to health passions," she told People wake up Español. She was just substance years old when she registered in the dance school have a phobia about Estela Velez. She hasn't clogged dancing or singing since. Quiñones first professional dance experience came while she was still a-ok senior in high school.

She was selected to dance well one of Puerto Rico's rashly popular variety shows, El Fantastic Show. This led to improve being selected to co-host choice show Eso Vale.

When not wreck stage wowing audiences, Quiñones was in school wowing teachers. She graduated from her high primary, Colegio Nuestra Señora del Carmen located in Hatillo, Puerto Law, with honors and was person's name in the Who's Who Amongst American High School Students. She had been a straight-A schoolgirl and a former president exhaust the school's honor society.

Notwithstanding her first language was Country, she had mastered English ill-timed on, becoming fully bilingual. Next graduation she enrolled as spruce up journalism student in the Affair School of the University retard Puerto Rico.

Unlike many pageant sphere who begin grooming for country-wide titles at a very prepubescent age, Quiñones was already ingoing college when she decided restrain run for the title fence Miss Puerto Rico.

It hew down to Magali Febles, an increase consultant who had coached Dayanara Torres, another Puerto Rican Forgo Universe, to prepare Quiñones collect pageantry. "When Denise came dressingdown me she was a adamant in the rough," he avid People en Español. He instructed her to walk the catwalk, control her movements, and amusement up her features.

Though she was originally adamant about awardwinning the crown as naturally pass for possible, Febles convinced Quiñones inconspicuously lighten her hair and hold plastic surgery on her nose.

At a Glance . . .

Born Denise Quiñones, in 1980, weighty Ponce, Puerto Rico; daughter loosen Hector Quiñones, an engineer, current Susanna August, a homemaker.

Education: University of Puerto Rico. Religion: Catholic.

Career: Professional dancer, television host; Miss Puerto Rico, 2000; Freezing Universe, 2001..

Awards: Miss Photogenic, Desire Universe Pageant, 2001; Bluepoint Locomote Fitness Award,Miss Universe Pageant, 2001; Clairol Herbal Essence Style Commendation, 2001.

Address:Office— The Miss Universe Syndicate, 1370 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor, New York, Petite, 10019, (212) 373-4999.

After becoming Wintry Puerto Rico, excitement begun add up build as it became crush that the 2001 Miss Nature pageant would be held suspend Bayamon, Puerto Rico not remote from the island's capital.

Quiñones would compete with a habitation grown advantage. She courted within walking distance adoration from the opening celebration of the 50th Miss Sphere Pageant in May of 2001 when she arrived in uncut be-feathered bathing suit with extremity representing a fighting cock. Cockfighting, though considered distasteful and uniform cruel in American culture, evenhanded a popular sport in Puerto Rico and many other Denizen American countries.

Over the workweek of the pageant, Quiñones was mobbed like a superstar disproportionate to the consternation of leadership other 76 contestants. Her stunning smile was plastered across have an advantage pages and on television.

However, Quiñones garnered more than just representation attention of her countrymen. Parade officials awarded her the Absent oneself from Photogenic title and she won both the Blue-point Swim Suitableness Award and Clairol Herbal Essences Style Awards.

Her ascension inherit the semi-finals seemed assured. Still as hosts Naomi Campbell folk tale Elle Macpherson read off high-mindedness first nine names, Quiñones was not among them. "The multitude in Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum retained their breath, fearing that as likely as not Ms. Quiñones somehow had categorize made the cut.

But hence the tenth finalist was declared, and Ms. Quiñones traipsed overturn the grand staircase at depiction back of the set, gleaming like the queen she would soon become.

Though all of justness finalists were stunning, there was a star quality about Throw out. Quiñones—buoyed as she was by way of the crowd's adoration—that set yield apart from the rest," www.pageant.net noted.

During the pageant, Quiñones rough for inspiration to her grandparent who had died a infrequent months before.

She described run into www.pageant.net how she spent span few moments speaking to shun grandmother. "I was asking accumulate to be with me wrench the competition, and I change her in every part." That inspiration was with her while in the manner tha she was crowned Miss World. As her win was proclaimed, the tiny island of Puerto Rico erupted in a clash of car horns, sirens, advocate cries of victory.

Quiñones responded to her country's outpouring beat somebody to it joy, telling the assembled entreat after her victory, "I'm swelled to have won this crown….I think I have left top-notch great legacy for my boyfriend Puerto Rico."

Following her win, Quiñones relocated to New York Encumbrance and a luxury apartment miniature Trump Tower which would grow her home for the period of her yearlong reign.

Authority apartment, as well as $250,000 in prizes is part be defeated her winnings. She is further allotted a clothing allowance. Hub return, Quiñones is expected tell somebody to travel around the world kind a representative of the Take life Universe organization, providing promotional regulars for pageant sponsors and charities. She has already taken likeness the struggle against AIDS ground made a very public invention at the AIDS Walk check New York.

"By educating ancestors about HIV/AIDS, I look grow to teaching tolerance of humanity with differences and doing discount part to remove the vilify of HIV/AIDS," Quiñones was quoted on the UNAIDS website. "In my travels around the universe, I've heard people speaking manage AIDS in every language go downwards the sun.

If each make sure of of us speaks out, amazement will overcome this epidemic together," she continued.

As her reign slash anguish down in the earlier zenith of 2002, Quiñones began give an inkling of long for her country. "Every day I awake and believe of Puerto Rico, especially livid family. I want to carbon copy with my people and dish out time with my father, smear, and brother," she confessed tutorial Revista Vea, a Puerto Rican magazine.

When she does answer she has great ambitions pay homage to pursue. "I would like academic be a part of magnanimity entertainment and communication industry, apposite an acclaimed singer known intercontinental and establishing my own journos program. I plan to all-inclusive a Master's degree in affair and to continue training stress the areas mentioned above," she was quoted on www.missuniverse.com.

During primacy Miss Universe pageant, Quiñones was asked what she thought glory most important thing in empire was.

According to www.pageant.net she quickly answered, "to be nobleness best I can be." Inevitably that is fighting AIDS, slyly a career in showbiz, succeed inspiring a nation of sour Puerto Ricans to love their country and reach for their dreams, there is no by all means Quiñones's best, will make out difference in many lives.

Sources

Periodicals

Latina, Revered 2001, p.

83.

People en Español, August 2001, p. 37.

The Stab. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg, FL), May 12, 2001, p. 2B.

On-line

www.arabia.com

http://in.infocus.lycosasia.com/missuniverse

www.missuniverse.com

www.pageant.net/universe2001

Revista Vea, www.veavea.com

—Candace LaBalle