Camila Gonzalez the first runner up at the 2018 Miss Universe Canada competition will be representing Canada at the Miss International 2018 pageant taking place in Tokyo, Japan on November 9th 2018. We wish her the best of luck at the competition.

Camila Gonzalez is a 21-year-old journalist from Toronto, Ontario. She was born in Cali, Colombia and moved to Canada when she was three. She considers herself a charismatic, empathetic and hard-working woman who likes to laugh at just about everything. Despite being one of the youngest contestants, she is mature and has been working as a professional journalist for almost 8 years. She currently works as a television host and producer for TLN Network in English and Univision Canada in Spanish, and as a model with Plutino Models.

Her passion for journalism has driven her to explore new perspectives, reach out to diverse people and create content that recognizes different ideas about our world. She has worked in radio since she was 13 years old. Her first job as a radio host was on a children’s show where she discussed current issues in a fun and educational manner with kids in her community. When she was 18, she began a new job with a Toronto radio station as a news and entertainment reporter. She began her new job as a television host and producer in the beginning of 2018.

Having been a competitive figure skater for most of her life, she has gained a strong athletic discipline that carries over to this day. She loves running, figure skating, hiking, kickboxing, and dancing. In her spare time, she likes to read, learn new languages, travel and tell stories. She also taught herself how to play guitar and ukulele because she really wanted to sing along to her favourite songs. Her job as a radio and television host has also developed her spontaneity, improvisation and curiosity, which makes her a creative and unique individual.

She is confident and loves speaking in front of cameras and crowds. As a journalist and an international ambassador, she has the ability to speak to anybody, from the president of a country to a vulnerable source that needs to be assured that their voice matters. Her experience competing in pageants around the world has given her the opportunity to speak with people from all occupations in places like China, Bolivia, Panama and Colombia. She has dealt with international press and worked with marginalized communities and non-profits to raise funds, awareness and give them a voice.

This has turned into one of her greatest strengths because it has given her a sense of empathy. She is able to observe others and analyze what they say, do, and how they are influenced by their surroundings. She considers her empathy to be vital in her career and in Miss Universe because you can be a great doctor, an entrepreneur, an exceptional writer or the best engineer in the world, but if you cannot connect with someone, build their trust and truly understand them, then you will not have an impact on their lives.

Her professional, academic and extracurricular achievements have given her the confidence, charisma and dedication that is necessary to be the next Miss Universe Canada. Having placed third runner-up at Miss Universe Canada 2016, Top 8 at Miss All Nations 2016, and being the first Canadian representative at Reina Hispanoamericana 2017, she knows what it takes to bear the Canadian flag with pride. She is ready to bring all of the skills and learning experiences that the past few years have given her to be a strong representative on the Miss Universe stage.