Miss Universe Canada 2010 Contestant - Tatiana Toro's Photo & Profile/Biodata

Tatiana Toro

AGE: 24 | HEIGHT: 5'6" | HOMETOWN: MONTREAL, QC

Of Colombian and Venezuelan descent, Tatiana left Colombia in 1993 and immigrated to Canada with her mother and sister. Since then, the cosmopolitan city of Montreal has been her home. She recently completed her Bachelor’s degree with a major in Film Production at Concordia University and is currently studying homeopathy.

She is passionate about both creative arts and alternative medicine. In everyday life, her positive and radiant energy are, not only contagious to those around her, but also make her a very approachable person. So far, her passion and drive have taken her to unexpected and exciting places in her life and she can’t wait to see where they will take her next.

Tatiana believes in non-violence toward all sentient beings, both animal and human. Some of the causes she would like to address are discrimination and intolerance. Although she is thankful to live in such a multicultural city as Montreal, she considers there's still work to be done in improving the equal treatment of minorities whether it's based on their ethnicity, beliefs or sexual orientation.

To her, Miss Universe Canada represents the vehicle through which she can attain those goals and be a positive influence and a role model to Canada's youth. It represents the opportunity to achieve a lifelong dream of giving back to the community. She would be honoured to represent Canadian culture and values on both the national and international scenes.

Questionnaire

Are you currently a student? Yes
If yes, where? At the Montreal Institute of Classical Homeopathy
Area of study: Alternative medicine

Are you currently employed? Yes
If yes, what is your occupation? Beauty consultant and customer service representative for a French cosmetics company.

Have you completed secondary school? Yes
If yes, where? At Ecole secondaire St-Laurent

Have you completed university/college? Yes
If yes, where? I completed my pre-university degree in cinema & communications at Dawson College. I also recently completed my Bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a major in film production.

Have you completed any technical/professional school?
If yes, where? No
What subject?

Languages spoken Fluently (please include your native language if English is not your native language)

English, French and Spanish and I am currently learning Italian.

List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc).

Music is a passion for me! I have had training in Latin dance, specifically in merengue, salsa & bachata. I have also taken baladi and beginner tango lessons. In pursuing my passion for music, I have taken both singing and guitar introductory lessons in the past. I have also had training in filmmaking and film studies.

In what sports, if any, have you participated and how long have you participated in each sport?

I practiced figure skating for three years. I have also been practicing yoga for over three years.

Please list any schools and universities (public/private/graduate/trade or technical) you have or are attending, as well as the area of study, graduation date and any degree or certification you received.

I graduated from the cinema & communications program at Dawson College
And I recently completed a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a major in film production from Concordia University. My graduation ceremony will take place in the spring 2010.

What charity/charities have you supported with your time and/or resources over past two years?

Over the past two years, I participated in a fundraiser activity for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I have also supported the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life as well as the Red Cross in its recent efforts to offer help to the quake victims in Haiti. Less recently, I have also participated in several fashion shows with Shannon Productions in order to raise funds for the Unicef.

What would be your "dream job" in life?

I dream of having a job that would allow me to travel around the world. I would love to be able to exercise or even combine my two passions, art and alternative medicine.

Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life? Why?

A person whom I have always admired is Colombian singer/songwriter Shakira. As an artist, she is not afraid to be herself. It is evident in her songs that her lyrics and music come from the heart. Although her unique sound earned her a lot of negative criticism at the beginning of her career, she did not let herself be discouraged and worked hard to pursue her dream. Today, Shakira is known across the world not only for her music but also for her humanitarian work. She created the Barefoot foundation to help make education available to all children. Shakira also created Alas so that young children across Latin America can have access to health plans, education and adequate nutrition. In addition to this, the Global Campaign for Education recently named her ambassador for 1Goal, which is an international campaign promoting education. She is conscious that younger generations look up to her and she fully assumes her position as a role model. For these reasons, Shakira is an inspiration to me and I hope that one day, I can serve as a role model for Canadian youth.

What is the proudest personal accomplishment (other than being in this or any other beauty pageant competition)

My proudest accomplishment is obtaining my Bachelor’s degree. I found my undergraduate experience very fulfilling. In my opinion, a student’s life is all about exploration. You learn about your abilities, your boundaries, but mostly, about the world of possibilities that are at your disposal. Education provided me with all the necessary tools to pave a successful path for my future. Each moment I spent in the student community has been one where my eagerness to learn has grown. To me, learning is a life-long experience. Furthermore, the academic world taught me that we can all use our knowledge to make our voices heard. Filmmaking is the vehicle that will carry, not only my message, but the one of others who are not being heard.

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?

Now that I have completed my degree in film production, my ambition is to make documentary films to raise awareness to environmental and social issues. More specifically, I would educate people on the effects of factory farming on the environment and would also like to help visible and sexual minorities attain equality. To do so, I believe that awareness is key to help bring about positive change.

Still in the arts field, I would love to open a film school for teenager where they could express their creativity.

My other career ambition is to complete my degree in homeopathy and be able to help others though alternative medicine.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.

My family and I moved from a small town in Colombia to Montreal when I was eight years old. The one thing I remember the most from day we arrived to Canada is how excited my sister and I were to see snow for the first time. I grew up in a tight and loving family being very close with my sister and mother. My mother raised my sister and I by herself and we learned very early on that she was not only assuming both parental roles but also that of an unconditional friend. She has always supported and encouraged me to be myself and I have her to thank for a beautiful childhood.

List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.

In high school, my sister and I both got jobs as lifeguards at our city’s wading pool. Everyday we would be assigned a different pool in various parks of our neighbourhood. We had also just adopted our first puppy that summer and were so sad to be apart from him during the day, that we had one of our friends rollerblade across town to bring the puppy from park to park so we could see him during our breaks.

List any volunteering you have done.

I participated in a fundraiser activity for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Where is the most interesting place you have been?

I have always had a great interest for art and, during my studies at Dawson College, I took several art history courses including renaissance and modern art. I was always particularly mesmerized by Michaelangelo’s sculptures and, last summer, I had the chance to see his work in person during a trip to Florence. Aside from the wonderful art, Florence is a truly fascinating city with warm and friendly people, not to mention the scrumptious cuisine!

What makes you unique and different from the other contestants?

What makes me unique is that I believe in the good in people. I believe that deep down we all want to help ease suffering in the world but unfortunately don’t always know how or where to begin. By bringing awareness to world issues, people will know where to direct their energy and efforts to contribute to the best of their capacity. I believe that each and every one of us has the potential to do accomplish great things in our lifetime.

What is your philosophy of/in life?

My philosophy in life is to practice respect, loving-kindness and to be compassionate towards all sentient beings, human and animal. I also believe that once we learn to accept each other’s differences, it becomes easier to love one another without judgment. The Dalai Lama has said, "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?

I hope to be working in the filmmaking industry here in Canada and abroad and that my work reaches many people and touches their lives in a positive way. I also hope to be working as a homeopath and help others to the best of my capacity.

Is there anything you would like to tell us about yourself? Something unique that has happened to you? Some interesting thing about you?

I share a very close and special relationship with animals and have four pets at home two dogs and two cats each of a different breed. I am always amazed at how much we could learn from animals: Four different animals of two different species cohabitating peacefully with each other. It is a truly beautiful thing to see.

source: (Thank you and credits to
http://www.beautiesofcanada.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)