Allisson Rodriguez and her take on “beauty” pageants
Allisson Rodriguez is new to both Guelph and the pageant world, but that hasn’t stopped her from earning the title of Miss Guelph World and competing in the Miss World Canada pageant this week in Toronto. Before she set off to compete for a chance at the title, Rodriguez sat down with The Ontarion to discuss her role as ambassador for Guelph and why she thinks pageants still matter.Fiona Cashell: When did you begin with pageants?
Allisson Rodriguez: A couple of months ago. It was a spur of the moment thing. They had the original Miss Ontario in January, and I got an email saying they were calling Ontario girls for a second qualifier. I thought, “Maybe I should try this out!” So I applied, and had a Skype interview with my director, Michelle Wezwaldi. She really liked me, so I competed with 20 other girls and six or seven of us moved on to Miss World Canada.
FC: Are you feeling any pressure to represent the city considering you are new to the area?
AR: Because I have my title for a full year, I want to take as much advantage as possible of it. I am loving Guelph, it’s a beautiful city and I feel like there’s a lot to see. I have been out to a few different locations like the antique market, the community farmer’s market, and to a few different events, such as Summerfest. This past month has been really busy for me, but after that’s passed I hope to get out to more events.
FC: What responsibilities and roles do you hold in the community now?
AR: First of all, I have been trying to get more involved in the community. I’ve reached out to a couple of different events to see if I can volunteer my time. I currently am going to partner up with the Gryphons football team, as my boyfriend is on the team. My personal platform is for Charity Water, a charity that provides water to developing countries. I have a GoFundMe and a PayPal set up to help raise funds and create sustainable solutions for water in third world countries. I also fundraise for the The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, which is the foundation of choice for Miss World Canada this year. I am so happy that they are partnered this year, as the organization helps children with terminal illnesses and children with neurological disorders. My boyfriend’s little sister suffers from a very severe neurological disorder, and I couldn’t be happier to be fundraising for them.
FC: Were you competing against girls who had been doing pageants for a long time?
AR: I competed against a few girls who had been in pageants, modeling, and things like that. A lot of us were new to it as well. It was a weekend-long event in Newmarket, the first day they taught us routines, how to walk, how to pose. We went through a few interview questions and got to know each other. The second day was rehearsals and the show where our families got to come out. We’re scored on evening gown, swimsuit, stage presence, and a director’s score, which is based on how well you take direction, how graceful you are, things like that.
FC: Do you have a team of people who help make those connections for you?
AR: I do not have a team of people at all, I have to reach out to any events or sponsors all by myself. Currently, I have a sponsor with Valentini Hair Design, who will do my hair for the pageant in kind.
FC: What do you think are some big misconceptions that people have about the pageant world?
AR: I think the biggest one that people ask when they find out I’m competing is that they use the word “beauty” pageant, which gives the whole competition a negative connotation. It’s so much more than just a beauty pageant. We fundraise for charity, we volunteer our own time and services, we get involved in our communities, we’re spokespeople for different issues and companies. “Beauty” doesn’t really encompass all of it.
FC: In 2018 especially, there has been a lot of discussion around pageants. For example, Miss America got rid of the swimsuit portion of their competition. From your relatively new perspective, do you think there are certain changes that need to be made?
AR: I am torn on the swimsuits. I do see both sides. I do think that women should not be critiqued or scored based on anything physical, and I do think the Miss World Canada [pageant] is a bit better with that as they score on fitness. They also score on physique, but it’s mostly about confidence and how confident you feel in your own body. That’s what the swimsuit competition is all about, it’s about how confident you are in yourself and how you show everyone: “This is me, this is what I’m about, and I’m proud of it.”
FC: Is there anything people would be surprised to know about you?
AR: People are mostly surprised to know I am Miss Guelph. At first I was a little bit shy about it and didn’t want to say it because of the connotation around beauty pageants. Now I feel I’m a lot more confident, and I want to wear my title proudly.
FC: Do you have any advice for anyone around your age who wants to get started in pageants?
AR: Sign up for the Miss World Canada email list, you will get updates for casting calls. Honestly, if you’re even thinking about it, just go for it, try it out, you have nothing to lose.
FC: When your year is done, how do you plan on staying part of the community?
AR: I plan on being a part of as many events and as many charities as I can. I think my title has given me a lot more reach. Whether or not I run again next year, I want to stay involved with those charities and I think forming those connections now will help me do that.
Photo by Karen K. Tran