MISS GUATEMALA EARTH 2010 - Sue Ellen Castaneda Herrera

PERSONAL PARTICULARS

BIOGRAPHY:



INTERVIEW:

I think the biggest problem we face today is the lack of information and education about all of the issues listed, and that is why we face all of them today.

Describe your childhood when you were growing up from 8 to 13 years old.

I am glad to say I had a great childhood, filled with people who loved me and took very good care of me, hard working parents who provided a great education in good schools and tutors, I'm very thankful because I always had the essentials, food, water, a roof over me, cloth and education. My parents aren't together anymore, but they are very good friends, and that gives me a lot of stability, my everyday activity since I was 5,' till I was a teenager was basically the same. To wake up at 6:00 a.m. to get ready for school, have breakfast with my sisters , catch the school bus and class started at 8:00 a.m. I would be at school until 3:00 p.m., got home and my dad would fetch me so he could help me with my homework, specially my English, yet he would reward me by taking me horseback ridding, and then we would have some ice cream, and he would take me back home so I could have dinner with my sisters and the day would end and finally go to bed. And a new day would begin. Some of the other activities I would practice back then were singing, dancing, poetry, gymnastics and swimming, I also used to spend hours on my mom's or grandma's gardens, taking care of my mom's roses or my grandma's orchids.

I would lay on the grass and look up to the blue sky and try to make figures of clouds using my very big imagination. I would also love to play dress up with my mom's clothes and specially her high heels. My best friend has always been my mother. I enjoyed very much the little time I would get to spend with her so we would always make the best of it.

What lessons did you learn from your childhood/growing years?

I learned many lessons, the good way and the bad way.
Humbleness: Being grateful with what god has given me, and for what I have worked for.
Sincerity: By always saying the truth , because my mother always said," I rather have a bad news than a good lie any day".
Good spirit: To always be positive no matter what.
Stubbornness: So I could never give up on my goals and dreams.
Responsibility: Because if in a situation like school, if I don´t study can´t help my family, or if I miss a day at work I'd get fired and I wouldn't be able to pay my house bills to provide for my family, and in simpler things like if I don´t do my chores my mom would have to do them all on her own.
Patience: Because I truly believe that everything will come in its own time.
Charity: Because If we are lucky enough to get everything we should share with those who don´t. My mom would always say," we can always add more water to the soup if there is someone left hungry".
Tolerance: we all deserve respect because we are all children of God with dignity and faith: By believing in something so much, that we know it´s real even if we can´t see it and the most important saying I remember "If I fall, I get back up always".

What is your most memorable moment?

It was the day I graduated with honors from school, because of what it truly meant to my family, by looking into my parents eyes and their faces the moment they said I had graduated, they had always said to me education is the most important thing we can give you, so you can have the best future possible. I was so happy, it really meant to me that I could finally start helping my family financially and make them proud. I think the reason why this was my most memorable moment is because it was hard for me, because of several reasons like, the ups and downs of our economic situation on one side, and the other was the big difficulty I had with all subjects that included numbers like math, physics, geometry, algebra, chemistry, biology but I still managed to graduate with honors so I guess I could say I'm very proud of my big efforts.

What is your environmental advocacy?

At this exact moment it would be water because it´s what affects Guatemala the most although I know it's critical everywhere in the world, but let me tell you a little bit of my country´s situation. Most of our rivers and lakes are suffering because of the water pollution. This happens because of people's lack in education regarding the taking care of the environment. One of our most beautiful lakes in Atitlan was seriously polluted because of several reasons, like people throwing trash, dirty water from kitchens and bathrooms, bad oil, and a general mistreatment of the beautiful lake. Thankfully there have been many ecological movements to save it, like schools and University students cleaning it, making people aware so people who leave nearby will stop polluting it and help restore rehabilitation projects. The most important thing is educating the community that live there.


PHOTO GALLERY