Getting To Know CLAUDIA BARRIONUEVO - Miss Universe Argentina 2015

I was born in the city of Salta. I live with my mother Mercedes in a town called El Carril. I have a sister named Cynthia and a brother named Carlos, and two nephews ,Santino and Geronimo. My father died in a tragic motorcycle accident when I was only one-year old and my mother took care of the entire family.When I was 16, I was discovered by Incanto Models which introduced her to the modeling world. I am a student of Educational Psychology, but I took a break from school to prepare for Miss Universe Salta which I won, and eventually I was crowned Miss Universe Argentina 2015.

Pope Francis! Not because he is the leader of the Catholic Church but I think he has extraordinary gifts that exceed all religions, such as his extreme humility, charity and power of integration. and I think I could learn a lot from meeting him. Likewise, because he is the first Latino and Argentine Pope, and that as a citizen of my country, that makes me feel extremely proud.

It is a very large country bordering five countries (Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay), which by extension has a great diversity of climate, topography, flora, fauna, and is comprised of a variety of races, which makes it a country with great culture.

My primary interest right now is to finish my studies in Educational Psychology because I've always been interested in everything related to this issue. Ever since I was a child, I had difficulty relating to the other kids and I was always the quietest in a group or among friends, and as an adult I wanted to use this life experience to help other children who have gone or are going through the same situation. Also, my primary interest at this time is to win Miss Universe and give my country its second crown of the world's most important pageant.

My hobbies include traveling because I like to see new places, share cultures, and experience life in another country. I have had the opportunity to travel to the United States, Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Germany and China. I had the opportunity of having lived three years in Costa Rica since the beginning of 2012 to mid-2015 when I returned to Argentina to compete in Salta and then Miss Universe Argentina. I also love reading and cinema.

My mother had had the greatest influence on my life, because since childhood she taught me to fight for my dreams, to be persistent and to work to achieve my goals. She has supported all my decisions and has respected my freedom of choice. Today, I can say that I have become the woman and human being that I am thanks to the values instilled in every aspect of my life by my mother Mercedes.

I am proud to volunteer at the annual collections at Christmas time, where we help many needy families so they can spend the holidays in a better way and all the children of those families can receive surprise presents on Christmas Day here in my city of Salta.

Yes, I collect tea. In every place I go, I buy some variety of tea that I am not familiar with or some variety typical of the place. And when a friend or family member travels, I ask them them to bring me some.

My dream job would be to establish a nursing home for the elderly, where they can receive proper care, attention and love all day long.

I have two-year degree in educational psychology, in my hometown, Salta, but this year I'm taking some time off to represent my country in the Miss Universe pageant. My studies are very important to me and whatever happens in Miss Universe my goal is to finish my studies and practice Educational Psychology.

Yes! My grandmother Teresa has a factory of cereals and I had the opportunity to collaborate and work in the administrative area. And yes, I have done plenty of volunteer work as well. I volunteered with an organization that fights child malnutrition and I was in charge of collecting and all kinds of food, clothing and toys in my area El Carril and Chicoama Lane. I volunteered with a Down Syndrome association where I organized a fashion show to benefit Fundación Alfarcito, the work of Father Chifri. I did a charity dinner with fashion show to raise funds for the construction of a sports area and a multipurpose room to benefit underprivileged children. 

My favorite place is my city Salta because here I can find everyone that I love, my family, my friends, most of my life experiences. Salta is not only a beautiful city that brings together the benefits and services of big cities, but it also has the idiosyncrasies of a small town with very friendly people, with warm people and very helpful people. Besides Salta my other favorite place in the world is Costa Rica because of the opportunity of working there as a model and the country makes me feel as if I am Costa Rican.

When I was 15, I rented a car to travel to another town 800 kilometers from my city to visit a very special friend. For this adventure, I had spent all my savings and I begged my brother Carlos to take me to my friend. I always laugh everything I think about this crazy adventure! Another unusual activity I did was to jump off the bridge of the Cabral Corral Reservoir which is approximately 50 meters high. My ankles were fastened with an elastic rope.

It's more than a hidden talent! Many people do not know that I do and I enjoy painting with acrylics.

Before going out to walk on the runway, I put hair spray all over my body so that my skin looks firmer. To take care of my hair, I first put conditioner on the ends and then wash them with shampoo. I repeat this process twice a week with the same mechanism and the third time I apply full conditioner.

The world is afflicted with so many problems like hunger, pollution, and climate change accelerated by global warming. But there is also one big problem that poses a threat to our society - being disconnected from our family and loved ones through the improper and unregulated use of social media. Regarding the problem of global warming, we need to resolve it as quickly as possible because it causes major disasters to occur worldwide like floods, earthquakes, droughts, resulting in large number of fatalities, damaged food and goods.

If I won the lottery, I would spent part of the money to buy properties to ensure a future income for my old age, to make sure that my surviving descendants and relatives would inherit my estate. I would also like to invest in some business that seems profitable, to continue generating revenue for my estate, while remaining as an active worker myself. And I would spend the rest of the money to build a beautiful nursing home with nice environment for the elderly, and begin a foundation that would be responsible for protecting the interests of the elderly, with free legal advice, free social services, etc.

 

I would like the judges to know that I am a very committed person in everything that I do, with very strong values and an ability to learn from all the experiences that touch my life. I would also like them to know that I'm totally ready to do the job of Miss Universe, which is something that I have always aspired for and dreamed of becoming some day.