Matapos koronahan bilang 2018 Miss Universe anim na buwan na ang nakalilipas, ano na ang mga learning at realization sa buhay na maaaring maibahagi ni Catriona Gray sa future Miss Universe winners at beauty pageant contestants?
“It’s really that we are on a path for a reason,” simula ng 25-year-old Filipina-Australian singer-model turned beauty queen.
“There were a lot of times when I would question, ‘Why do I have this ambition in my heart?’
“’Cause you know when you do come across roadblocks or come against a wall when you’re pursuing a dream, you can really start to question like, ‘Why do I have this dream in the first place? Why does my heart want this?’
“So, it’s first trusting in God or having faith in yourself. That you have that ambition in your heart in the first place.
“And the second would be that we all have a reason for being where we are.
“There is a bigger purpose, and purpose for me comes from serving other people.
“We can’t just be out there for ourselves. It’s not fulfilling in the same way, I promise you.
“Purpose is about being in a position and taking advantage of that position to give to others, that’s when it really becomes fulfilling and you find your purpose as a person,” pahayag pa ni Catriona.
Kaya ba masasabi niyang malaki ang ipinagbago ng isang Catriona Gray sa loob ng anim na buwan?
“She has! Because I really have received so much more responsibility.
“A lot of people are like, ‘Your life has changed so much! You have this platform...’
“I have a platform, but with it came responsibility and I am deeply aware of that, which is why every time I wanna speak on the matter or put a message out there, I wanted it to be on the purposeful kind.
“Whether it would be advocating awareness for LoveYourself and Young Focus and working with brand families like FrontRow, that is the message I wanna put out there,” sabi pa ng Miss Universe 2018.
CATRIONA, MISS UNIVERSE, FRONTROW SUPPORT ADVOCACIES
Ang LoveYourself ay ang organisasyong may adbokasiya na “HIV awareness, education, prevention and counselling,” habang ang Young Focus naman ay ang foundation na tumutulong sa mga kabataang galing sa mahihirap na pamilya sa Tundo. Parehong sinusuportahan ito ni Catriona.
Ang FrontRow ay ang multi-level company na pag-aari ng actor-director na si RS Francisco at ng engineer-businessman na si Sam Verzosa.
Nakausap ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Catriona nung Huwebes, June 13 sa Novotel Hotel kung saan ginanap ang pagbibigay ng mga tseke para sa mga adbokasiya ni Catriona, ng Miss Universe Organization, at ng FrontRow.
Sa pamamagitan ni Catriona, nagbigay ng donation ang Miss Universe Organization ng $15,000 sa Hope For Change ng FrontRow Cares. Ang Hope For Change ay ang foundation na na nagpapaaral ng mga kabataang mahihirap.
Nagbigay naman ang FrontRow ng tig-isang milyong piso sa Young Focus at sa LoveYourself.