It’s Miss Universe Canada 2022 week! The contestants have already been busy traveling around Toronto and just competed in the preliminary competitions. Amongst their activities, each contestant had to complete an interview. The Miss Universe Canada Organization has released short, one-minute interview clips onto their YouTube channel for us to watch. Out of the 52 contestants, here are my top 16 interview standouts (in alphabetical order):
Dominique Doucette
I love seeing how much Dominique’s confidence has grown since interviewing her for Miss Grand Canada 2021. Dominique is lively, strong, and unapologetically herself. I LOVE IT!
Gloren Guelos
Gloren is a pageant veteran which makes it easy to understand why she performed so well. She speaks very well, provides well-rounded answers, is likeable and has a big heart.
Hanna Begovic
This former Miss Supranational and Miss World Canada is the girl next door. Hana is eloquent, has a bright, bubbly personality, and talks as if she is conversing with a friend. Hana will put up a strong fight for the crown.
Jilldeen Ezeudu
Jilldeen reminds me a little bit of Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst. She is strong, intelligent, prepared, and relatable. She is firm in her stance and her voice stays strong even when thinking about what to say next. Very impressive.
Korrena Thompson
Korrena is very down-to-earth. Her soft, friendly, humbleness shows through, but so does her strength and intelligence. Her feet are on the ground and her mind is in the game. Korrena is definitely a dark horse in the competition.
Madison Kvaltin
Madison has some of the best answers out of all of the contestants. Each answer is thought out. However, it does not come across as rehearsed; it comes across as natural.
Maneet Khera
Wow! I did not know what to expect from Maneet, but whatever expectation I would have had would have been blown out of the water. Definitely one to watch out for in the competition!
Marguerite Dieunie Kilama
A contestant speaking in their non-native language can sometimes cause some issues and one may not be able to speak and present themselves in the way they naturally would. However, this was not a problem for Marguerite. Marguerite spoke with conviction throughout her interview. You can tell that she knows herself and is confident in who she is.
Maria Becerra
Maria has a positive, infectious energy. I was captivated by her from the moment I saw her. What made me sold on putting her in this list was her answer to the last question: “Does the word ‘sexy’ have a negative connotation?” To sum up Maria’s answer, she doesn’t think that the word ‘sexy’ should have a negative connotation, despite what is said in the media, because sexy comes from one’s own inner confidence. This was the hardest out of the three questions she was asked, and I was pleased with her answer.
Mattea Henderson
Mattea exudes confidence. She is one of the contestants that I feel is not afraid to speak her mind even if others would disagree with her. As a titleholder, you need to be ready to speak your truth while still being a considerate representative of the organization, and considering Mattea’s pageant history, she knows how to do just that.
Michaela Varughese
All I’ll say is that she is the complete package! Watch her interview and you will understand. Beauty and brains 😉
Milenis (Milly) Masclarin Castellanos
To put it simply, Milenis makes me smile and I want to be her friend. Sometimes confidence can scare people away (mainly those who are not confident themselves), but I cannot imagine anyone not feeling the warmth Milenis puts out into the world. On top of the confidence and kindness Milenis possesses, she is very articulate. Milenis is another dark horse in the game.
Shirley Yu
Shirley’s personality was what made her standout to me. She is very lively and seems like a fun person to talk to. This is incredibly important when searching for a titleholder.
Sophie Church
Sophie is a strong contender for the Miss Universe Canada crown. Smart, caring, supportive, and hard-working are just some of the words that describes Sophie. She’s another to keep your eye on.
Tishina Thompson
I loved Tishina in Miss Grand Canada 2021 and I love her here at Miss Universe Canada 2022! Every time she speaks, she speaks with both her mind and her heart. Whether the topic at hand is serious or light-hearted, Tishina can quickly adapt, provide a great answer, and connect with those whom she is talking to. This is a skill that is hard to teach.
Yuliya Shcherban
Yuliya has come to Miss Universe Canada prepared. She speaks and looks like a pageant veteran. I would not be surprised to see her place as a finalist or even higher in the competition.
Honorable Mentions: Jacqueline Juntilla Marsh, Lannie Houle, Maya Ramsahoye, Pamela Abou Khalil, Quinn Teechma, Rayelle Sowers, and Rosie Abigail Smith
