Miss Puerto Rico Valerie Hernandez
Valerie Hernandez of Puerto Rico was crowned Miss International 2014 Tuesday here.
The beauty pageant’s 54th annual event, which was held at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa, had 73 entrants from all over the world between the age of 19 and 26.
Dressed in a gold-embellished white gown, Hernandez sobbed with joy as she was officially crowned by Miss International 2013 winner Bea Santiago of the Philippines. The 21-year-old is a student and model from Carolina, Puerto Rico.
The first runner up was Colombia’s Zuleika Suarez followed by Thailand’s Punika Kulsoontornrut and Britain’s Victoria Tooby.
According to the Philippine Star, during the question-and-answer rounds in the lead-up to the finals, Hernandez termed winning the title as a hard responsibility, reports dailymail.co.uk.
“Thinking about the Miss International title, I think it’s not just crown, it’s not just the title, it’s one of the hardest responsibilities. As Miss International, I want to send a message of love, peace, and unity,” she said.
On her official Facebook page, Hernandez claims she was trained in classical ballet at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de Carolina. She lists Pizza Hut and Professional Gym as her previous employers.
Meanwhile, Jhataleka Malhotra, who was representing India at the world beauty pageant, did not make it to the top ten. According to a report, Jhataleka was given the title of Miss Internet Beauty.