PERSON: Marybel Gonzalez

Miss Colorado USA 2012

Marybel Gonzalez believes strongly in the value of education. During her senior year at George Washington High School, Marybel was awarded the Daniels Fund Scholarship, which is a full-ride scholarship to any university in the country. Marybel chose to attend California at Pomona College.

During her junior year, Marybel had the opportunity to study abroad in Argentina. While abroad, Marybel dedicated her time to learning about Argentina’s labor rights and access to employment for women. For her research, she was awarded the Paul and Evelyn Ritchner Award for Undergraduate Research on Women’s Rights. In 2009, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and a minor in Spanish literature. Currently, she is a studying radio and television broadcasting.

Marybel is an avid horseback rider. She is a member of an equestrian sidesaddle team, Las Amazonas de Colorado. The team is comprised of nine other women, and they have won several state championships and traveled to many different states to display their horsemanship. Marybel also enjoys cooking, spending time with family, reading, and salsa dancing. She has a passion for traveling; her favorite destination is Italy.

— missuniverse.com