A 19-year-old woman who at her young age has already won and been crowned as Miss Latina Global, is a full-time college student at Southwestern College, works as a teacher assistant in the South Bay Union District, volunteers at many non-profit organizations, is soon to join the Air Force, works as an influencer and host, and has been recently recognized as an Extraordinary Young Women (Joven Extraordinaria) at this years Celebrando Latinas Conference.
Valery Michelle Vázquez Richard is a 19-year-old who has achieved her goals through dedication and hard work.
“I have always been a very busy person, and at first, it was hard, but with time, I learned to manage my schedule,” she said. “I currently work in the morning and get out at four, then attend online college classes. In the case of an event, I make sure to do my homework before the deadline so I don’t fall behind and can attend the events or photo shoots that I’m invited to.”
Valery Michelle draws a lot of inspiration from her family, who are a significant source of motivation for her success. She holds deep admiration for her mother, who made a brave decision to move from Mexico to the United States when Valery was just 7 years old in pursuit of a better future for her family.
When Valery’s mother settled in San Diego, she demonstrated unwavering dedication and hard work. Witnessing her mother’s tenacity inspired Valery to believe she could achieve anything she set her mind to.
“Since I was in High School, I started taking online college classes. Because my mother, without knowing any English, managed to go to school and graduate from a university in less than four years, that was a great example for me,” Valery said. “I learned English very well pretty fast because I was little, but she struggled more and had to work even harder. I would check her homework for spelling and grammar. She always motivates me by saying that if she could do it and I’m young, I could do even greater things with my resources.”
Valery, born in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, and brought at the young age of 7 to San Diego, has been living here for over 10 years and is now a U.S. citizen. She is also fluent in Spanish and English and knows some German.
Her Philanthropic Beginnings Led Her to Become a Pageant Queen
Valery Michelle started to get involved in the community in 2020; when she was only 17 years old, a beauty pageant queen invited Valery to join the association Herencia Hispana California in their annual Christmas toy giveaway.
“While assisting the Herencia Hispana organization, we contributed back to the community,” she said.
Her natural charisma shone through while she was giving back, leading to an invitation to participate in the 2020 pageant from the reigning Miss. “I was invited by that year’s beauty pageant queen, who also invited me to compete as queen. I began as a princess and was crowned queen in 2021.”
And it was just the beginning for her.
“Then I started modeling for magazines and fashion shows and supporting Latinas Con Poder Magazine. I also hosted Javier Bautista’s y las Estrellas show, a live show on Facebook. I became a member of the Almas Angelcare organization, which guides and protects vulnerable children from danger.”
That was when Vallery decided to set her mind on becoming Virgelia Productions, Inc.’s next Miss Latina Global. “I enrolled in a private modeling school, entered the Miss Latina Global title competition, spent around eight months preparing for it, and thank God I took first place. Since then, I have appeared in multiple magazines and fashion shows.”
“As queen, I continued to give back to the community. For instance, in Los Angeles, I received multiple quinceañera dresses for free, which I then distributed to Rosarito girls already planning their quinceañeras.”
Valery Michelle, at the age of 19, is the current Miss Latina Global for the years 2022-2023.
An Action Queen
“Since high school, I’ve always said that I love action, justice, and weapons and that I want to work in law enforcement,” Valery Michelle said.
Vázquez Richard is in the last semester of her Criminology major at Southwestern College. And in December of this year, she plans to get her associate’s Degree.
After she graduates, she plans to join the Air Force as a third rank. “There is a procedure to join the Air Force, but I already signed the paperwork. All that remains for me is to take the ASVAB exam on September 21. Depending on how well I perform on the exam, they will then provide me with a list of possible jobs based on the grade I receive.”
“I wanted to be a policewoman, but I couldn’t till I was 21, so joining the Air Force would help me get the training and experience I need,” Valery said. “While I’m there, I also want to benefit from the fact that they are paying for my education so I may earn my bachelor’s degree.”
While thinking about her future in her career, when asked how she saw herself in five years, she answered, “I might also like to redo my Air Force contract, if that’s what I like, but enter as an officer.”
South Bay is her Home
Valery lives in the South Bay area, so she wanted to find a job near her home; for a while, she worked in a bakery in Otay Ranch, and that is when she stumbled upon a job position at the South Bay Union District. “I already had the six units I needed to work as a child development teaching assistant from my elective subjects in school, so I applied, took the required district tests, and passed them,” Vázquez Richard said.
October is soon to be her first anniversary working at the South Bay Union District; she is currently working as a teacher assistant at Nicoloff Elementary School, where she helps in bilingual classes, teaching children how to read and write in English and Spanish.
“I first started as a substitute, and when an assistant position opened up, they accepted me,” Valery Michelle said.
A New Milestone has Been Added to Her Already Extensive Portfolio
On August 5, the Celebrando Latinas Conference was held at the Hilton Bayfront. The event had an attendance of over 800 women, out of which around 200 exceptional individuals were nominated by their loved ones to be recognized in various award categories.
And from all the great nominees, Valery Michelle Vázquez Richard won the Extraordinary Young Women title. She wowed the judges with the fantastic comments her supporters gave in her nomination, describing her arduous work in the community and her incredible perseverance.
Although Valery Michelle couldn’t attend the conference, she picked up her recognition and expressed how grateful she was to everyone who nominated her.
Here are some of the inspiring comments from her nomination:
“She serves as Queen of Miss Latina Global at the moment and is a model and actress for various events. She also attends school full-time, mentors bilingual kids to read English correctly, helps the teacher, and recently enlisted in the Air Force to serve our nation. I would elaborate, but It would be endless,” Fernando Yac said.
“Because she is a young woman, who, despite being so young, dedicates her time to productive things, is very enterprising and talented… And above all, very dedicated… And she has an impressive interior and exterior beauty!!!,” Cesar Varela said.
“Because at the age of 19, she has served the community by being a queen and member of non-profit organizations, a full-time student at school, an assistant teacher in the South Bay School District, a Queen in the Miss Latina Global pageant, and an influencer on Facebook and Instagram and will serve the nation in the Air Force,” Carmen Richard said.