Bossy! Magazine April/May 2017 | Page 13

Continued on Pg 32ine/ApContinil, 2013 9

Diaz says “That’s one of the things I love most about pageants, “you’re like a caterpillar at the beginning and you become this beautiful butterfly at the end. You starting dressing differently, talking differently, your network changes and you start getting different opportunities”

She wondered if she’d be better off with competing within a system that celebrated black girl magic, in our natural beauty and all its various forms. So now it was time to do some research. She was excited to find pageants for us, by us, such as Miss Black America, Miss Caribbean USA and Miss Black USA. Diazbsyays "As I did research, I found that the Miss Black USA system was a long established pageant with national presence and was recognized in magazines like Essence and Allure." Diaz decided this was the one for her. She felt they had a great support system and loved seeing how the pageant helped many former queens take things to the next level.

And today, she has been chosen as Miss Black Florida USA.