As the latin beauty expert in NYC, it was an honor to be selected to judge the Miss Republica Dominicana US pageant this past Saturday at the Symphony Space in Manhattan.  Hosted by Odalys Molina from Telemundo, it was a wonderful evening.

I was surprised by the way in which contestants needed to be judged.  It is not simply on who is the most beautiful, but depends on body proportion, poise, overall personality and how they connect with other people.

Obviously, all of the contestants were beautiful and proud of their Dominican heritage.  I was impressed with the difficulty of the questions posed, and the poise of the finalists in answering on some controversial topics.

Although there could only be one winner, I think all of the young women did an outstanding job of representing the US born Dominican women of the future.  The community wins as well, as it raises awareness and shines a spotlight on my community in Washington Heights.

So, congratulations to all.  It was a special night that I will never forget.  I look forward to being asked in the future, and to help the pageant grow.