Miss Brazil

Iara Maria Resende Azevdo Coelho

Iara was born in a small town named Luz, situated in the interior of the State of Minas Gerais. She grew up with her family surrounded by dairy farms and cattle ranches. On finishing High School at 17, Iara lived in Belgium for a year as a Rotary exchange student. Many other exchange students from Australia, USA and Belgium have stayed with her family and became like her own brothers. Iara is currently a student at the Pontificia Universidade Catolica, she also works part time as a model, her ambition to become a good professional lawyer. In her leisure time Iara enjoys travelling, swimming, playing "peteca" (a kind of shuttlecock), acting and dancing, especially the Samba. Her personal motto is "In life, we should appreciate only the matters we could keep in our hearts. Being all the remainder borrowing from life only. Knowing that when it wanted it back, it would take it without asking."


Where did you grow up? Tell us a little about your home town/city, and family.
I was born in a small town in the west of Minas Gerais State. It is called Luz, my native land. It is a town with many dairy farms and cattle ranches, which are beautiful and it is worth a visit.

My mother’s parents are from Luz, while my father, who is a former district judge in my native land, came from a far away town in the northeast of Minas Gerais. I am their only daughter and I have a very close relationship with them and my relatives. I have got many friends and a very wise and loved grandmother.

Every year, for the Holy Week Holiday, my father’s relative’s comet to visit us. It is a great party. We play "peteca" (a kind of shuttlecock struck back and forth between the players, using only the palm of hand, swim and talk a lot. It is really a great fraternization.

Nowadays, my father is the district judge in a neighbouring town and he is professor of "State Law" and "Ancient History" at college at the same time. My mother is an "Educational Counsellor" in a public school. We have a farm with dairy cows for milk consumption.

My parents have participated to Lions Club for many years and I also participated to Leo Club some years ago. I lived in Belgium as a Rotary exchange student from 1999 - 2000, when I was 17 years old and had concluded high school.

When I lived in Liege, in Belgium I studied at Ateneu Real of Belgium School, where I learned French and made many friends. My family has already received exchange students from Australia, United States and Belgium, those youths became like my own brothers.

What Jobs have you done? What was the most interesting/bizarre?
I have worked as a model for a long time, which I find very interesting and I really love. I also worked as a trainee lawyer. Nowadays I am a volunteer in "VIDA PLENA" (FULL LIVE), a social work program in aid of needy children in our region.

What are your career ambitions, how do you plan to realise them?
I intend to graduate in Law and specialize in International Law. In order to reach my ambitions, I am preparing to take my Master of Arts in France or other European country. I am also interested in Arbitrage work and Reconcilement. But as long as it is possible I will try to work as a model.

What is the proudest moment of your life? (Not including winning your National Title)
The proudest moment in my life was certainly when I successfully finished a social work project to help needy elderly people. I led a group of teenagers who were so involved in the project that made me feel rewarded. And it was a glorious moment when we visited those needy, sick and aged people taking them gifts, consolation and human warmth.

What was the funniest/most embarrassing moment of your life?
I was an exchange student in Belgium and it was my first week at school. One day I was coming home by bus; I was absent-minded and didn’t stop at the right bus stop. When I noticed, I was at the last bus stop and when I left the bus it was already dark and it was snowing. I had no money and I couldn’t speak French yet. Tears started falling on my face, I was scared, terrified and I started walking. Rang the first house’s doorbell that I saw. I tried to explain to them what had happened, who I was and what I was doing there. After a long time a South African man understood me and took me back to my Belgium family. What an embarrassing moment for me!

What was the funniest/most embarrassing moment of your life?
My life has changed a lot since then. I have met many interesting people. My photograph has been shown in different magazines and newspapers. Many opportunities for work have appeared and opportunities to doing something for the people in my town have also occurred, mainly in the social area. I have travelled a lot and met people from other countries.

Tell us about an interesting event you have attended, or a person that you have met.
I took part at the largest charity ball in the world, in Toronto, Canada, on April 2004. The Brazilian Ana Maria has promoted this event for more than 30 years. It is a typical Brazilian Carnival Ball where jewels are auctioned for charity donation in order to improve medical researches.

What would you like to do, if you became Miss World 2004?
Firstly it would be the achievement of my greatest dream. Doors would be opened and so I could develop Social projects wherever I found it was needed in our planet. Further more, I could show my people culture and all its interesting features to those who I would meet. Doubtlessly, I would like to symbolize beauty in a different way with fellowship and understanding.

If you had a personal motto what would it be?
In life, we should appreciate only the matters we could keep in our hearts. Being all the remainder borrowing from life only. Knowing that when wanted it back, it would take without asking.

Give details of any charitable work undertaken?
When I was a teenager I led a Social project on behalf of poor elderly people in my town. Several teenagers and me used to visit those people, talk to them and take the gifts. That was done many times. We acquired shoes donations and gave them to the aged people in "Vila Vicentina" (a village institution tin Luz for the poor aged people). We also used to take groceries to the needy people.
Nowadays I assist to "VIDA PLENA" ("FULL LIFE") project, in aid of needy children and teenagers where they receive food, school, and computer science classes.
They also have psychological, medical and dental care. We provide them with social work for their families and leisure. Everything is done extracurricular school schedule.
It is a wonderful project and very rewarded with many children and teenagers.

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