As a child, Michaella Navarro learned to hide something she never should have had to hide: her own background.
Growing up discriminated against because of her skin color and appearance taught her, very early on, how cruel other people’s gaze can be. There were years when she felt excluded and insecure, as if she did not fit in anywhere. No one explained to her then that, over time, that wound would become the driving force behind something much greater.
Today, at 24, this Chilean journalist was crowned beauty queen of her municipality and is preparing to compete for a national title. “So that they know that people like me exist too”, she said, convinced that her story can support other girls who are living through what she experienced. What was once a source of ridicule is now the reason thousands applaud her.
