Miss Universe hopeful hits the books

From the basketball court, to the classroom and also to the pageant stage, Katherine David, Miss Bolivia 2007 and current UWF international student, knows how to keep her life balanced. Interestingly enough, she wasn’t so sure about pageants when she began.

“I thought they were kind of silly at first,” said David. “I wanted to play sports – but once I started doing more pageants when I was younger, I realized it was something that I wanted to do. I’ve been dreaming about Miss Universe for a long time.”

Now David’s dream is at her fingertips. Representing her home as Miss Bolivia, she is preparing for the 2008 Miss Universe pageant which will be held in Nha Trang, the capital of Khanh Hoa Province in Vietnam. The pageant is held over a two-week period in May and July, where participants rehearse and go through preliminary competitions. A winner is crowned during the final competition.

The Miss Universe Organization, which is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal partnership, is an international company that advances and supports today’s women. The contestants who become part of the Miss Universe Organization display goal-oriented characteristics in their everyday lives, both as individuals who participate to advance their careers and goals, and also as women who seek to help others.

David, who is in the Intensive English Program at UWF, is currently spending her time studying and taking classes, proving that she is definitely what the Miss Universe pageant is looking for, an intelligent, well-mannered and cultured young woman.

“I absolutely love the program and the teachers that I’m learning from here at UWF,” said David. “It’s very important for me to learn English – everything at UWF from the students to the atmosphere is great.”

Although she is away from her friends and family, she is grateful that they support her in the opportunities that she’s received through the university and the Intensive English Program and happy that she’s made many friends at UWF.

“They think that it’s an important opportunity for me to be here,” said David. “They support the decisions I’ve made and are very proud that I’m learning so much here at UWF, even though they miss me a lot.”

David, who spends most of her day in class, makes sure to spend time playing basketball with her friends every evening, as well as exercise to keep in shape for the competition. She also enjoys participating in events sponsored by the International Center, whether it’s a lecture or dance.

Whatever David may be doing at UWF on a given day, she’s always concentrating on her future and what could possibly lie ahead of her in the months to come. The winner of the Miss Universe pageant is assigned a one-year contract with the Miss Universe Organization, going overseas to spread messages about the control of diseases, peace, and public awareness of AIDS.

“When you know who you are and what you want, it’s very easy to have the faith that you can accomplish anything,” said David. “I’m going to make every effort I can to make that happen.”

For more information on UWF’s International Education Programs and Intensive English Program, visit uwf.edu/intered.

By Megan Clark, University Marketing Communications