Selena Vazquez

Name: Selena Vazquez Age: 17 Nationality: Puerto Rican Sponsor: Sacred Heart Chapel Parents: Norma and Julio Vazquez High school: Early College High School. In the future I plan on going to college to double major in history and international relations, to someday work as a museum curator and travel with the exhibits to different countries. Costume: My costume is a variation of the traditional bomba y plena dress. The skirt and ruffled part of my top have a wildflower design to represent the many flowers that are all around the island. It is a mixture between the Taíno, African, and Spaniard cultures that have heavily influenced the style of the islands. Favorite tradition: During Christmas many of my family gather at one of my tití’s homes where we videochat with family from Puerto Rico, eat food that was prepared for the dinner, and toast. When the night starts to wind down we open gifts and give thanks for everyone there. Favorite native dish: My favorite native dish is arroz con gandules and pasteles.

Ever since I was a young girl I have always dreamed of representing my culture as an International Princess. Going to the festival every year and meeting all the wonderful princess made me happy and excited to see how they all carried themselves and portrayed their heritage. This year I hope I can do the same thing for other girls while representing my Puerto Rican heritage proudly.

I am honored to be given this chance of representing my Puerto Rican heritage at this year’s International Festival! This is a great chance for people to learn the wonderful things that all of our different cultures bring to Lorain County. Knowing where my family comes from is very important to me, and I hope I make them all proud to see me as a 2018 International Princess.