OH senior Dyani Torres’s childhood dream finally came true. On June 27, on a stage at Aurora University, Torres was crowned Miss Puerto Rico of Aurora, and she proudly embraces her new role as an influential figure for young Puerto Rican women.
“[Being Puerto Rican] is a part of my culture and who I am, so I decided to step out of my comfort zone [by entering the contest] and give it a try,” she said.
Torres had always gone to the Puerto Rico parades in downtown Aurora since she was a young girl.
When Torres won, she had many mixed feelings. “Once they announced my name, that’s when I felt overwhelmed with emotions. I felt excited, happy, and then just hearing all my family in the crowd was definitely an unreal feeling.”
Julissa Ocon, Torres’s mother, said she also pushed her to undertake the opportunity.
“I supported her on this journey,” Ocon said. “I was the one who encouraged her to enter the pageant because I knew her beauty inside and out, combined with her intelligence, humor, and vibrant personality would shine through.”
Torres’s mother was such a big support; she attended her meetings, shared ideas, and even designed her costume to represent the town and culture she proudly represented.
Torres practiced for the Miss Puerto Rico Pageant about two to three times a week for four months at the Aurora Public Library with two board members of Aurora Puerto Rican Culture Council (APRCC), Jalitza Martinez and Linda White. On her own time, she would watch pageant videos and prepare questions for the judges.
Since Torres has been crowned Miss Puerto Rico, she has been working at modeling events and has even been featured on WGN and Fox 32 News with Amina Malone, who is Little Miss Puerto Rico of Aurora.
Now that Torres is crowned Miss Puerto Rico of Aurora, she will promote her heritage, inspire the youth, and lead community events.
Friends and family say Torres is an inspiration and should be to many others.
“I felt nothing but pure happiness and love for her. Seeing her on the news was so unreal and definitely a memory I’ll never forget,” OH student, Mia Medina and Torres’ friend said.
“I’ll forever be one of her biggest cheerleaders,” Medina added.
My name is Maliyah Gossett, I am a junior at OHS and I love to attend the activities here at OHS. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication.
