Rica Marie Lañojan
a 24 year old girl living in the queen city of the south, "Cebu". In my 24 years, i consider myself lucky to be matured enough for all the experiences that I've went through. When i was a little girl, I remember that i really wanted to be a beauty queen, but my mom won't allow me to join in a beauty contest because she thought that it is just a waste of money and time. Until such time, when i was in my secondary, my classmates and teachers keep on pushing me to join Ms. United Nations, then there they go, they did convince me but i kept it to myself and hide it to my mom. During the Preliminary rounds, i only have my classmates as a supporter and then finally when the coronation day arrived, i told my mom in a simple manner "mom, today is the coronation day i hope you could come" then my mom told me " what? you joined a pageant? how?" and then i just told her "you could come, all you have to do is to be there" and then i left for school. When i was preparing myself for the coronation, my friends told me that my mom and sisters were there, i was nervous and at the same time excited about it. The pageant went well and i wasn't able to take the crown but i was awarded as the 1st Runner up, Not bad at all, I even saw my mom crying. Tears of Joy, i guess, starting from that moment, my mom showed her support and letting me join several beauty pageant. She's been a stage mother to me and supports me all the time. My career started there, and then some talents wanted to handle me and made me a model.I have several beauty titles, and then I joined several fashion shows, & I even promote some products. As i graduated in college, i worked as a call center agent but it didn't last because of my modelling jobs as well. I wasn't able to continue my call center career because of my out of town events, but the company asked me if i can be featured in their magazine and i said yes. Not only did they featured me but they made me as a cover girl of their magazine.It was a great achievement for me, to be featured in a magazine and to be a cover girl is already a dream come true. But there's something deep inside me that is bursting to come out, my fashion sense. Funny but true, i remember when i was a little girl, my mom used to scold me because i always cut my old clothes and reinvent them to be new again. I even sew it with beads and add it some laces to be used again. Even in college days, my friend used to tell me that i am a head turner because of my looks, i remember that they used to call me barbie because of my style. And even my mom & dad, my brothers and sisters as well didn't understand my fashion style, they used to laugh at me because they found it weird. But now, i really don't care, and my family we're used to it already. I learned that fashion is expressing what you feel, and being comfortable and confident about it. So i stand to the world and telling everyone, this is ME. Welcome to my WORLD. :)