Entrepreneur and pageant director Natalia Castillo has inspired many women with her drive and aim to empower others. Currently, Castillo is the director of Miss Texas Latina, a pageant in which Latina women compete in the Miss and Teen categories which then go on to represent their state at the national Miss U.S. Latina pageant. A former title holder herself and a bikini champion, Castillo left her native country of Colombia at the age of 18 for Texas and immersed herself in education, “My oldest brother was here in Houston, and he actually opened up the door for me to be here,” Castillo said. She adds, “And I knew education was first. I knew that I had to focus first on getting my degree, and then everything else that came after was more for like hobbies or fun.”
Relocating had its challenges for Castillo as she had to learn English and step out of her comfort zone as she left friends and family behind, “Slowly but surely, I started growing and learning new things, and I understood the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity. I then started doing a lot of networking and started connecting myself with a lot of people here in Houston, and it has become my second home. I am so grateful for the opportunity to live in Texas,” she said. Castillo eventually received her Bachelor’s in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Houston in 2012, and enrolled in Miss Texas Latina winning in 2014 after being invited to compete by a friend of hers, “I had said, why not? Let’s do it for fun. I wanted to do something different and learn new skills. I never thought that I was going to be the winner of the pageant because of the stereotypes regarding beauty queens. They’re always very tall and I’m very short. I’m five feet tall so I just did it for fun and loved what the organization stands for in representing Latinas, our culture, and being a leader in the community. So that’s what really caught my attention. And that was ten years ago and my life completely changed and it gave me so much motivation to continue being a role model in the community. And I understood the importance of using your title for good.” Castillo said.
During Castillo’s title reign, she decided to use her platform to advocate and bring awareness to mental health, “I personally struggle with depression and anxiety, and it’s something that’s in my genetics and that I’ve struggled with for many years and going through those moments really helped me understand the importance of helping other girls focus on their mental health as well,” she explained. After completing her title reign in 2014, the opportunity for a new director came up, and Castillo seized the chance, “The founder of the organization gave me that opportunity and had liked what I accomplished as a title holder and felt I could help guide other women in their journeys. It’s been a beautiful opportunity and I’m so grateful for it,” she said. Not only is Castillo a pageant director but she also runs her own organization educating and teaching women on a variety of skills. The organization titled “FIREYOUP,” is for women of all ages and backgrounds and helps teach the fundamentals in the areas of self-esteem, career development, stage presence, mental health, social media, networking, public speaking, fitness, modeling, and more.
Castillo incorporates the program into the Miss Texas Latina pageant where candidates get coached which also helps the young ladies prepare for the competition. Ladies in the program also learn how to perfect their hair and makeup. “For pageant preparation, we coach the girls in every area that they need. Anywhere from modeling in front of the camera to really projecting your best angles. We also teach them how to answer questions in front of the judges, how to interview, and also how to walk with confidence. So, all the classes that we do for the training are sponsored by FIREYOUP. They are 100% focused on giving you confidence. We train them for a few months before the actual competition, and then they’re ready to step on stage and show their best selves,” Castillo said.
In asking Castillo about the aftereffects of completing a title run, she shares her advice for women who may be at a loss for what to do next, “I think it’s super important to never put your value as a woman in the titles that you have or in job titles or a crown and sash. Yes, they’re fun, and it does give you a lot of purpose-building but you cannot put your whole self-worth and value with just being a title holder. So, I always tell the girls to focus on your next move as well. Focus on your education, because that’s really what’s going to carry you through, because after the pageant is over you can continue building yourself up, and you don’t need a title to be an example to somebody else or to do something meaningful.,” Castillo explained. For girls that Castillo has coached, some of them have gone into modeling, beauty, or fitness after competing as they discover areas they are passionate about.
Coming up, Castillo will be hosting a 3-day retreat in Houston with FIREYOUP from August 2nd to 4th. The retreat and program is open to women of all ages and backgrounds, and will be a chance to network and participate in workshops and activities, “It’s a great way to disconnect from your routine and get out of your comfort zone in a safe environment with other like-minded women,” Castillo said. For those interested, there is time to register. The Miss Texas Latina competition is also approaching this fall and for any young ladies interested in participating registration is still available for that as well. The pageant will be held sometime this fall, and the Miss U.S. Latina pageant will be held in Portland, Oregon this August. Currently, April Rodriguez of Forth Worth is the reigning Miss Texas Latina and Patricia Obando is Miss Teen Texas Latina, “They are an amazing example of everything that we stand for. They’re very involved in their community and they’re beautiful as well,” Castillo said. Both ladies will be in Portland this summer to compete at nationals. Offering inspirational advice to other women, Castillo says, “I would say start moving forward. Start putting yourself out there, which can be scary. But by making one small decision that can lead to momentum and open up more doors. But if you don’t move and let fear and anxiety stop you from doing something you will get stuck. Just go for it,” she says.
Follow Miss Texas Latina on Instagram here.
Official Miss Texas Latina Website: TEAM | Beauty Pageant | Miss Texas Latina | United States (misstxlatina.com)
