Photos by Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
Texas Border Business –
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez,
It was Dora Brown, IBC Vice President of Marketing who put out the news about 22-year-old Ylianna Guerra, a formidable contestant for the Miss USA 2015 title.
Ylianna Guerra is the current titleholder for Miss Texas USA 2015 from the Rio Grande Valley, a first since the 1960s for this area.
The fact that she had won the Texas title was practically a secret even though it already had been released to Facebook. Dora saw it and started calling her vast network resources and helped to organize a Meet and Greet Community Farewell, which took place at the Renaissance Casa De Palmas Hotel in McAllen on Friday, June 19, 2015.
Ylianna, a McAllen native, graduated for Memorial High School and just recently graduated from The University of the Incarnate Word where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Bilingual Communications. She also earned a place on the Dean’s List where she served as a member of the National Society of Leadership & Success.
What are you planning to do with your degree? “Obviously, being a news anchor is one plan but ultimately I want to create my own non-profit organization to help children in need,” Ylianna told Texas Border Business.
In addition she said to be very proud to be from McAllen. “I am very proud to be representing Texas on the national level and putting McAllen and South Texas on the map.”
Being a contestant in any of these events is very difficult, because many aspiring beautiful and intelligent young girls from the United States also have a chance to compete. Luckily for McAllen and South Texas, Ylianna brought the title home. “I competed for Miss Texas twice until I won on my third time. I started doing pageants when I was 18-years-old. I really enjoyed it because it helped me grow out of my shell. I was very shy prior to that and it’s helped me grow a lot as a person,” she said.
What is going to happen when you win? “Thank you. Well, if you win Miss USA you move to New York the very next day, and you live in the Trump Tower along with Miss Universe, and then you travel all over the country, your platform then becomes breast and ovarian cancer. I would be working a lot with those organizations and then preparing for Miss USA.”
Ylianna said that if she wins Miss USA she will definitely compete for the Miss Universe title.
The first year she competed on Miss Texas USA was in 2011 when she made it into the top 15. “That was actually very good because I didn’t know much about pageants at the time, and there’s 120 girls that compete every year for Miss Texas USA,” she said.
Were you discouraged when you lost? “No, I wasn’t. It made me work harder. Then I wanted to focus. I took a year off for my sophomore year of college because I wanted to focus on school and obtaining my degree. That was always very important for me, and when I went back last year, I got second runner up. That was very close. I needed to work a little harder and I just wanted to be myself, and be more transparent, and that’s what I did this last year when I won.”
She said to be extremely grateful. “I have the best support system. I’m so, so blessed. My parents of course support me one hundred percent, and my family, and my friends, and this event that they had for me is … I’m just so honored and it’s almost surreal I can’t believe it.”
Ylianna has a younger sister, Isabella, who is 15, and still at McAllen Memorial. “She goes to the same high school that I graduated from,” Ylianna said.
By her comments it looks like Isabella will not follow her sister’s footsteps. She said, “We are very different. She wants to be a lawyer. I don’t think she wants to do pageants. She’s a golfer, too. We have very different personalities.”
What did your parents instill in you? “Since I was little, the importance of education has been there. That’s why when I competed for Miss Texas USA I took a year off because I really wanted to obtain my degree. Once you have your education, nobody can take that away from you. My parents have always stressed the importance of humility and being humble, and never forgetting your roots.”
Ylianna is the daughter of Carlos and Yrma Guerra. Mr. Guerra said, “We think she’ll win. We feel good and we feel confident. I think she has all the attributes that they are looking for.”
Her mom said, “We are very happy that the City of McAllen has welcomed her and is actually sending her off because she’s very proud to be from the Valley, and from McAllen. It just feels so good to be surrounded by so many people who love and support her, and she’s ready to go for Miss USA.”
Ylianna is ready to compete in the Miss USA 2015 Pageant on July 12th, 2015. The Miss USA beauty pageant will be televised out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In a deal with the Trump co-owned Miss Universe Organization, Reelz has picked up exclusive rights to broadcast the program on Sunday, July 12th on Reelz Channel at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.
The reigning Miss USA, and a contestant who hopes to follow in her stilettos, invite you to watch the pageant Sunday night on REELZ.
REELZ CHANNEL in you area: DISH NETWORK 299; DIRECTTV 238; ATT&T U-verse 799 and Time Warner 128.
Do you have any additional comments or message? “To all the girls here from the Rio Grande Valley, never give up on their dreams, follow their heart, and don’t feel that you are at a disadvantage because you are from a small town. You can really do anything and accomplish anything if you work hard enough and if you believe in yourself,” Ylianna finalized.
Written by Roberto Hugo Gonzalez, the 2009 SBA Journalist of the Year Award Winner, and the 2009 and 2012 Paul Harris Fellow Award recipient. TBB
