Susie Castillo: La Reina

PHOTOGRAPHY Miss Universe L.P., LLLP

You have to run pretty fast to catch up with former Miss USA, Susie Castillo

What impact has being crowned Miss USA had on you?
I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person. I’ve experienced so much being Miss USA, and it’s been such an amazing, huge…just journey for me. I think the biggest thing has been working with causes for breast and ovarian cancer victims and seeing how people suffer. It’s been a humbling experience, and it makes you want to work even harder to help these people. It’s something that I’ll continue to support.

You’ve also been involved in another great project that helps Latino youth.
Yes, it’s called TheKey2. It’s an interactive guide to top colleges and universities in the U.S. for Hispanics. It’s a CD-ROM, and when you pop it in your computer, I kind of walk people through the guide. It explains and covers topics like profiles of colleges, academic support, and financial aid. And the best thing is that you can program it so it speaks in English or in Spanish. It’s being distributed totally free of charge to Hispanic students through organizations and schools throughout the country.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A COPY OF
ISSUE #3.1 FEATURING SUSIE CASTILLO

MORE OYE GIRLS:

EVA LONGORIA

JESSICA BURCIAGA

PAM RODRIGUEZ

CLAUDIA MOLINA

JEN JOHNSON

CC FONTANA

NIKKI TORRES

Apart from education, what other issues do you see as most pertinent to Latinos today?
Something that I’ve worked on really closely, as I mentioned, is breast and ovarian cancer. It’s actually something that affects the Latin community quite extensively. So I worked with various organizations like the Susan G. Komen Breast Foundation, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and the American Cancer Society…so by me speaking Spanish and being able to reach out to Latinas, it’s been wonderful.

Was your background as a Latina an important aspect of your reign as Miss USA?
Oh, it’s very important. In addition to supporting the fight against breast and ovarian cancers, I have wanted to do as much as possible with the Latino community. I want to be visible. I want to be a positive role model for our young Latinos. I want to tell them that through education, perseverance, and a dedication to following your dreams, you can achieve anything you want to in life. It doesn’t matter where you come from, if you live in el barrio…that’s where I grew up. Race, color, ethnicity, none of that really matters. It’s your drive. Nowadays there are so many wonderful opportunities waiting for us to find them.

Certain Miss USA’s have faded off to lead quiet lives while others have used their visibility as a springboard to entertainment and acting careers. Which path would you like to choose?
I’ve been modeling since I was 14…modeling, acting, and the entertainment industry have always been something that has really interested me. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. I’ve had wonderful opportunities and many doors have opened already because I’m Miss USA, so I will not be fading away.

What was the most difficult aspect of being Miss USA?
You have to travel a lot. I met wonderful people. I saw so many wonderful things, and I saw so many great things, so many great places. But I never really got the opportunity to share that with the people that I love, with my family and friends.

Were your responsibilities equivalent to having a fulltime job?
It’s more than a fulltime job. You're always traveling. There are always things to do--in the morning, evening, afternoon, and weekends.

Give us the inside scoop on what women talk about while getting ready to go on stage at a major pageant.
Some people are nervous, some more so than others. You are pretty much doing your make-up backstage, getting ready for the show. Everyone is mostly trying to keep focused, because it can get nerve wracking. You are about to go on stage in front of so many people. I was constantly thinking, I hope I don’t fall on my face.

So no catfights?
No, that’s the biggest myth ever.

Miss USA and Miss Universe were both Latinas in the same year. Does that have any special significance?
I think it shows that we are capable of doing anything that we set our minds to, and this is just one of them. We excel in many things and this is just another area where we can do wonderful things.

Is it harder to get dates as a beauty queen or do more men approach you?
Certainly the opportunity is there. Um…but I have a boyfriend, so I’m not really…I’m not really looking.

I would imagine that a lot of guys would be intimidated by the fact that you were Miss USA, so they wouldn’t have the nerve to ask you out.
I go to a lot of events and it seems like the ones that are always looking for dates are the athletes. I attended a lot of charity events where there were a lot of NFL players or NBA players. The first thing my previous year’s Miss USA told me was, “If I can give you a piece of advice it’s, stay away from the athletes.” [laughs] Those are the guys that hit on me the most. And some of them don’t even care that I have a boyfriend. I tell them I have a boyfriend and they’re like, “Oh, who cares.” And I’m like, “helloooo?”

Should Miss USAs be like presidents and be allowed to run for second terms?
You know, I think one year is enough. I’m telling you it is hard work, and usually a year is more than enough…but if somebody would like to, sure, why not?

What advice do you have for our readers?
For everyone to keep searching for those opportunities that are out there so that Latinos continue to do better…I feel as if the rest of America has kind of negative connotations…or think of negative things when they think of Latinos. That’s something that really bothers me, and I want that to change. And the way we can get that to change is by supporting one another and continuously doing wonderful and great things. So I encourage them all to continue their education and keep pursuing their dream.

And the last thing I want to say is that Latinos out there have really been supportive of me so I’d like to thank them for all of their support and tell them that I’ll continue to be a positive role model and a good representative for all of them.