Filling in the Gap: How 2018 Bb.

Laguna stands to change the perspective about

beauty pageant

It’s a feeling you’ve almost certainly experienced before - the fear of being not yet
ready and uncertain. You worry about whether you’ve taken the decision seriously,
and about the consequences of failure.

But with great motivation from her mom, Jennifer Lemaitre, a 19-year old French-
Filipino started giving pageant a shot when she was on her 5 th grade. At first, she
was a little hesitant to pursue joining outside-the-school pageant at the age of 16.
Luckily, she was hailed as Miss Calamba 2016.

After joining several pageants, Jennifer realized that pageant isn’t just about
flaunting their physical beauty into the glitz and glamour of the stage, but she
discovered that it is another way of influencing other people.

With that, she turned pageant into a purpose of making a platform for her advocacy
-- to stand up for women empowerment and gender equality. She believes that
gender has nothing to do with one’s worth, capability and potential as a human.

The one thing Jennifer is good at is turning negative views into positive ones. She has
that grit to deal with different kind of struggles which she experienced before joining
pageants specifically learning to love her own body physique. And lastly, she is not
afraid of criticism.

“I’ve never been the girl or kontesera who had a six pack or a flat stomach. Seeing a
co-candidate who has such good shape could really get into your head with thoughts
that could bring you down. But as I went on and achieved what I have now, I tend to
appreciate my body more and what it does for me.” she eloquently explained.

After winning her first outside-the-school pageant Miss Calamba, she quickly
snatched bunch of crowns through the years including Miss Silka Laguna 2017,
Binibining Laguna 2018, Miss Grand LPU 2019, and Miss Toyota Alabang Service
Center 2020.

To represent the Philippines in an international pageant in the future is her greatest

motivation now. For some instance, the prerogative to have a determination, heed the
views of others and have a heart to anything are the characteristics that made Jennifer
Lemaitre change the perspective about beauty pageant.