Chanelle de Lau, 21, is taking up international business and management. When not studyin, she enjoys cooking for family and friends as well as dancing as a form of self-expression and relaxation. At 16, she lost her father to cancer and is now using her voice as Miss Curacao to advocate for cancer awareness.
She took some time off her busy schedule for an interview with Missosology. Know more baout her.
Tell us something that most people don’t know much about you:
This is something that I only recently discovered about myself. My mom noticed that I sleep with one eye open! She woke me up various times in the morning and noticed how one eye is freakishly open while being in a deep sleep.
What is the biggest mistake you made in your life and what did you do to make it right?
The biggest mistake I made was not expressing my love and appreciation for my father more often throughout my teenage years. I lost my father to cancer when I was 16 and ever since wished I would have done this more! This is why I feel a big need to spend more time with my grandfather.
How would you describe your country to your fellow contestants?
Curacao is the PEARL of the Caribbean! This is an exotic island that’s just a must see trip when going on vacation! Not only are we blessed with jaw dropping emerald beaches and tropical weather all year round, our culture is so diverse that you experience so many different cultural traditions in just one visit! We have eye catching, old Dutch-styled buildings in our city: Willemstad that are one of our proudest possessions. This is one of the reasons why Willemstad made it on Unesco’s World Heritage List. These colourful monuments are visible on almost any souvenir and postcard on the island.
What is your beauty secret?
Glowing skin! Moisturize and provide your skin with the necessary nutrients to ensure a healthy glow 24/7. This is as close to a fountain of youth that we are going to get!
What is the most difficult thing you did to prepare for the Miss Universe pageant? Why did you do that?
Preparing for the Miss Universe pageant wasn’t difficult. I did what I had to do, in order to be prepared! This is a once in a lifetime experience and I believe that contestants should embrace the opportunity. Enjoy the journey, stay focused but always remember to have fun and be themselves! I believe in making sacrifices like rejecting the goodies at dinner time and putting in the extra hours to work out so that I am in the best shape ever. But not overly difficult things to take away from enjoying myself and making beautiful memories on the journey to Miss Universe!
Social media seem to play a major role in pageantry nowadays. Do you think this is advantageous to you? Why or why not?
Social media is definitely advantageous to me in the pageant world! I am from such a tiny island that is almost unknown, but through social media I have over 61,000 followers on Facebook! Amazing! It’s also a great way to spread awareness on important causes like Cancer and HIV to the whole world. This is a channel to stay up-to-date and connected with all things pageant related. A perfect marketing tool and a line of communication to keep in touch with all the fans and organizations in the Beauty World!
Some people think that beauty pageants like Miss Universe are degrading to women. Convince them that they are wrong.
If anything beauty pageants are uplifting to women! It empowers us as contestants to have the honour to represent our respective countries, refined and confidently beautiful as we can possibly be. Not only are we role models, we carry inspiring stories that can touch millions of lives. We inspire other women to be better versions of themselves! Beauty pageants takes us out of our comfort zones and pushes us to improve ourselves in every way possible. Remember, we will serve a beautiful purpose in our lives and for our countries!
Who is your all-time favorite Miss Universe and why?
My all-time favourite Miss Universe is Olivia Culpo because she seems very down-to-earth, like someone that could easily be my friend. We have many things in common like cooking, similar taste in fashion and she always dresses unique. She seems to be a real people’s person and is great with her fans.
What qualities do you feel you have that would make you a great Miss Universe?
My qualities that I think will make me a great Miss Universe…
I am Adaptable: Easily adaptable to any situation; like moving to the Netherlands to study and making due with little money so that I can receive the best education possible. I am studying International Business and Management and I have to adapt to over 12 different cultures in one classroom on a daily basis.
I am Strong: I consider myself a strong person because after losing my father at 16 and in my exam and final year at high school, I pulled myself together and control my grief to pass my exams.
I am Confident: I am very confident because I am comfortable in my own skin, I don’t let the opinions of others create insecurities about myself, I believe in myself and I have an inner peace that I feel secure in myself as I am at all times.
I am Humble: Because no matter how great my successes are in life, I will never forget where I come from and the morals that I was raised with will keep me grounded.
Special thanks to Chanelle for the interview. Missosology.Org
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