Miss Colombia

Paola Andrea Marino Garcia

Paola, influenced by her grandfather who was a director of a news publication called ‘El Colombiano’, is studying Communication and Journalism and is in her ninth semester. Because of her fathers work, he is a geologist, she has travelled extensively, she also won a one-year scholarship to the La Universidad de Comillias in Spain. Her mother is a psychologist and works with children, this has also had a great influence on Paola and for the past seven years has been helping in teaching disabled and special children. On a different note she has also been heavily involved in radio broadcasting and hosts a weekly program for children which is aired live throughout Latin America, USA, Spain and Italy. Her hobbies are: Reading, movies, theatre, travelling. Sporting interests include: Volleyball, swimming, water skiing, snow skiing, horse ridding, roller-skating, gymnastics, and Colombian typical music and all modern dances.


Where did you grow up? Tell us a little about your home town/city, and family.
I grew up in Bogotá, Colombia. I have lived also in United States and Spain, and travelled through other countries of America and Europe.

My home city, Bogotá, is a whole year spring weather, 14C. It is beautiful city with lot of restaurants, theatres and places to have fun and entertainment. With 7 million people, other warm climates, as 25C, are available at less than 2 hours of driving.

About my family, my grandfather, Gildardo García, was a prestigious journalist and Director of one of the two biggest newspapers in Colombia. My father is geologist, worked for 30 years with Texas Petroleum Company and was transferred to several countries throughout his career. My Mother is psychologist and has worked with children all her life. From her I learned the importance and beauty of giving love in exchange for nothing more than smile; and to change the concept children are the future for children are the present , that´s why we have to work now for them and not to loose time waiting for tomorrow. I have two brothers, the oldest one is 35 years old, mining engineer, and lives in Spain; and the other one is 18 years old and goes to high school in Bogotá.

What Jobs have you done? What was the most interesting/bizarre?
The most interesting has been to work for 7 years as presenter and script writer in my own radio program throughout Radio María, a broadcasting station of World Family of Italy, in what I weekly transmit to children of Latin America, United States and Europe.

Other works done by me are 7 years in Fides, a foundation for disabled children, and as teacher in the nursery school of my mother. I have been a model for TV and photography and now being Miss Mundo Colombia, showing how a beauty queen can be different being a model to follow not only by her actions but because she has a purpose and it´s to help others.

What are your career ambitions, how do you plan to realise them?
My career ambition is to graduate as a journalist and throughout it and as a beauty queen I am, to be able to reveal the true beauty of my country at an international level.

What is the proudest moment of your life? (Not including winning your National Title)
I was the manager and trainer of a gymnastic team for disabled young people than won the title in the National Olympic Games for disabled in Bogotá.

What was the funniest/most embarrassing moment of your life?
The most embarrassing moment was working in a restaurant in Miami, and was fired because I used to smile a lot. And the funniest was when I won this year the competition of the Most Beautiful Smile of Colombia.

What was the funniest/most embarrassing moment of your life?
My life has changed a lot my daily activities; I had to stop my university and my theatre classes for one year, to attend Miss World Colombia activities. I got the goal of being listened by the governors, as the President of Colombia and the Mayor of Bogotá, as well as by the press media, about my inquiries in favour of the poorest children. Tell us about an interesting event you have attended or a person that you have met. Most interesting events attended are the social causes for which I participated with my theatre acting this year in Bogotá for disabled soldiers affected by personal mines and other, and a presentation for beggars and less fortunate people who live in streets. Most interesting person I have met is the President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, because of his wonderful work against terrorism and spontaneity and charisma with people.

What would you like to do, if you became Miss World 2004?
I would be very happy to follow and develop successfully the purposes of Miss World Organization. And to work under beauty with a purpose for health and education for children, to make a reality that every children have a home, because for me children are not only the future, but the present.

If you had a personal motto what would it be?
My personal philosophy of life is ¨truth, faith, humility, and everything done with love.

Give details of any charitable work undertaken?
For FIDES, As a volunteer children with mental disabilities; In RADIO MARIA, a subsidiary of WORLD FAMILY of Italy, I have host as volunteer in Spain and Colombia for several years, and in my program, aired to Latin America, United States and Europe, I write the scripts and imitate voices of eighteen different characters (Grandmother Paca and animals) all of them with different personalities and attitudes which attributes to a formative and educational message for children and families.

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