INSTINCT 2012 7
Ishi Wins Elusive Crown Jonnie Baraquio
Miss STI Novaliches, Jasper Mariz Ishiwata, was heavily applauded after being declared the 2011 Miss STI Grand National Finals in the annual Mr. and Miss STI pageant, participated in by 18 male and 18 female stunning candidates representing different clusters of STI Network of Colleges. The showcase of beauty, wit, and glamour was held at the Enchanted Kingdom last August 26, 2011. An early favorite, Ishi, as she is fondly called, won the nod of the judges with her beauty, relaxed poise and intelligent answers. Aside from winning the title, she also romped off with the most number of special awards, including Miss Fresh Gear, Miss Slimmers World, Best in Casual Wear and Best in Sports Wear Award. Ishiwata’s answer to the final question was the clincher: “What CITIZEN STI attribute best describes you and why?” Her response stood out from the rest.
“The citizen STI attribute that best describes me is HONESTY. I fight my life’s battle with pride, dignity and honor. I am true to myself and the people around me. I am honest because STI has taught me the values and virtues of a true-blue Citizen STI. Thank you very much.” A Miss STI “repeater”-- she didn’t place the first time she joined in the 2009 National Finals, then came back to win the major title in her second attempt—her story is one of triumph over odds and holds valuable lessons about the value of never giving up on your dream. Her character, sheer determination and an optimistic view alongside her past experiences in beauty and modeling tilt have made her more confident in the said pageant. In a post-pageant interview, Ishiwata expressed her gratitude to all her classmates, schoolmates, friends, family, supporters, and to the whole STI Novaliches faculty and staff. “Thank you very much for all the prayers and for always believing in me. I don’t think I would have gotten this far if you didn’t push me to join again. Thanks for the encouragement. You have helped me to win this crown,” she said. The elusive Miss STI Grand National Finals crown won by Ishi finally broke the twenty-year-long drought of STI Novaliches in the pageant. This is the first time the title is won by an STI Novaliches student.