It’s been a whirlwind journey for Valerie West, a 22-year-old newly certified EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) from New York, USA, who now represents the Ifugao region in the Miss Universe Philippines pageant.

Valerie was crowned Reina Filipina North America on Jan. 25. A few weeks later, she arrived in the Philippines, prepared to compete for the opportunity to represent the country in this year's Miss Universe pageant in Thailand. While it might seem like she was suddenly thrust into the competition, Valerie is no stranger to the pageant scene.

She started her pageant journey after being named Miss York County’s Outstanding Teen in 2017, landing in the top 5 of Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen in the same year. The following year she was named Miss Luzerne County’s Outstanding Teen and again became part of the Top 5 Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teens. 2019 saw her being named Miss Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Outstanding Teen and 1st Runner-Up for Miss Pennsylv
ania’s Outstanding Teen.

Then the pandemic struck so pageantry had to take a back seat. In the meantime, she completed her Biomedical Engineering degree at the University of Delaware. Valerie wants to get into pediatric cardiology one day to pursue a medical degree.

That “one day” might take a bit more time. However, she has just resumed her pageant journey with the Miss Universe Philippines after becoming the Reina Filipina North America titleholder.

“I'm excited to be representing my Ifugao roots and also the Philippine community in New York,” Valerie said days after arriving in the country. The last time Valerie was in the Philippines was in 2019 and she almost got stuck here just as the worldwide lockdowns were being implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apart from a college degree, she’s also armed with skills in singing, dancing, and competitive martial arts. Singing, in particular, is her passion and she even writes some of her songs. She was a contestant on a singing competition show, The Clash, when she was 17. Like studying medicine, she’d like to pursue it in the future.

“As a Filipino raised by a Filipino mom, of course, a love for pageantry been instilled from a young age. And as I got older it's not just, ‘Oh it's so beautiful looking at these queens walking so gracefully.’ They become role models in my life. They each have such beauty and brains so I tried to model that in my life,” Valerie said. She added that her mom, who hails from Kiangan, Ifugao, inspires her to pursue her beauty pageant dreams.

Valerie also believes that Pinoys' love for pageantry is also innate. “I think it has to do with our culture, our values in the Philippines. When you see all these women empowering women and their strong family values, it's hard not to be inspired and want to be that when you're older, watching as a little girl. Even in the US, the Philippines, and worldwide, we're still Filipino at heart and carry those values no matter where we go.”

She also admires Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, who has “taken the crown and done so much with it even afterwards.” Catriona is known for advocating Filipino culture, which she has continued to do until now.

Valerie has her advocacy through the PUSO Foundation, founded by Robert Banez in 2017. Through various platforms, the foundation has the "purposeful unconditional service to others” in underserved communities in 7 countries. “Through my partnership with PUSO, I spread the message of ‘paying it forward,’ and advocate for the importance of service work, especially amongst younger individuals. Through small and large acts of kindness, and involvement in one's community, kindness multiplies and lives can be changed globally. The message is simple: Give a little, change a lot!”

With her beauty, brains, and heart, Valerie is already a pageant standout and ready to take the pageant world by storm.