GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Miss Michigan Teen USA and Cedar Springs native Isabella Mosqueda joined 13 ON YOUR SIDE Tuesday morning to discuss her recent win, her career aspirations and her passions.
19-year-old Mosqueda was crowned Miss Michigan Teen USA on May 28, beating out 40 other competitors. She said hearing her name called as she was crowned was a surprise she’d worked hard for.
“I was honestly in shock, it took me about a day or so to realize I had actually won,” she said. “I’d been working so hard for this title for many months.”
Mosqueda plans to attend Wayne State University to pursue a career in medicine this fall. She said competitors in pageants are often reduced to their appearance, and that she and other participants are working to fight that and pursue their dream careers.
“We’re not just a pretty face, we are anesthesiologists, which is what I want to be, we’re entrepreneurs, lawyers, much more than just a pretty face like people say,” Mosqueda said.
Along with studying medicine, Mosqueda is interested in advocating for people with “invisible disabilities”—something that has touched her life on a personal level.
“Growing up, I had two disabled parents and you can’t notice if you just look at them. That’s why I call them invisible disabilities,” she said. “Even with myself, not many people know I can’t hear out of one of my ears. A lot of people struggle with things behind the scenes, and I really want people to be more aware and just knowledgeable about those things so when they meet someone they don’t just judge a book by its cover.”
This wasn’t Mosqueda’s first time in the 13 ON YOUR SIDE building, either! She visited previously with the Cedar Springs cheerleading team for a feature on 13 On Your Sidelines.
Mosqueda will compete next in the Miss Teen USA national competition later this year. In order for Mosqueda to do so, fees and high travel costs must be covered. If you’re interested in donating to the Mosqueda family’s GoFundMe to help cover those costs, click here.
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