Yasmine Johnson

Height: 5’7
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Languages: English, French (conversational)
Occupation: Student (Criminology and French at Toronto Metropolitan University)

Yasmine is a Canadian university student working towards receiving her Bachelor of Arts, specializing in Criminology and French. She is new to the pageant world, but does not allow that to stop her from stepping out of her comfort zone to showcase her confidence that radiates on the inside and out! Her degree will allow her to succeed in her passion to be a social justice lawyer, representing victims of police brutality. Currently, she is working towards becoming a model through her dedication to living a healthy lifestyle and becoming the best version of herself by being active consistently.

Despite being a full-time student, Yasmine takes time out of her life to make positive change in the world. She uses her resources and personal experience to make connections with people from less fortunate communities, especially the homeless population. Through volunteering out of the goodness of her heart, she aspires to work with women who struggle to find homes, along with their children. She believes that everyone deserves equal opportunity, no matter what their upbringing is.

As a young woman of confidence and dedication, Yasmine can accomplish anything she puts her mind to. She is very passionate about her social justice advocacy, and plans to open her own law firm one day. She aspires to continue fitness and beauty modeling as well, and loves visiting countries around the world to build connections with a variety of cultures.

Miss Universe Canada gives Yasmine the golden opportunity to raise awareness to social issues in Canada, such as homelessness and domestic violence. Her main goal in this experience is to shine a light on these matters, and her charity work leading up to the pageant will continue once the pageant is over. Yasmine tremendously looks forward to the opportunities that arise in being able to connect with other women who want to work together to empower each other. She is inspired by Kate Angell’s quote, “Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates”, as this competition is not only centered on what is on the outside, but also the intentions that come from within to make the world a better place.

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?

I am tremendously interested in becoming the best version of myself, and I accomplish this through going to the gym five days a week, challenging myself to cook new recipes, and journaling. A new hobby of mine has been going to watch jazz shows with my little sister, and helping each other get ready by doing our hair and makeup. I love trying new things such as hiking, exploring new cities, modeling, and yoga. What I enjoy the most is empowering people my age to let their voices be heard and to stand up for what they believe in, and I do this through motivating phone calls or in person discussions.

List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc.)

In elementary school, I was a member of the school choir team as I have always had a passion for singing. In addition to this club, I participated in singing lessons outside of school which assisted in improving the range of my voice. I took drama classes throughout high school and although this was not professional training, I still learned a lot from my teacher about gaining confidence in being in front of large crowds. Participating in these singing and drama classes definitely sparked my interest in performing on a stage, especially on a pageant stage.

In what sports, if any, have you participated?

As a child I played a variety of sports, as I have always had interest in being active to maintain a healthy lifestyle and body. I have participated in soccer, tennis, track & field, swimming, and I was the only girl in my martial arts class in high school! If the gym counts as a sport, you can find me there almost any day of the week.

Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life. Why?

One person who has had the most influence on my life is my little sister, Anaya. Being blessed with a little sister is equivalent to having a forever best friend and when she was born, my life changed for the better. Everything I do and the dreams I work towards are influenced by her, as every decision I make is to make her proud. Having someone who looks up to me has taught me that unconditional love means doing anything for someone without limits. A sibling relationship is the longest lasting relationship in our lives, and I strive to inspire my little sister that she can accomplish her dreams while being a confident young woman.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment (other than participating in this pageant)?

My proudest personal accomplishment is escaping toxic relationships, and through all of this I have kept love in my heart. Without getting into too much detail, I worked very hard to get out of environments that were negatively impacting my physical and emotional health. I suffered from anxiety, as I always had fear of not knowing what my day was going to look like. After getting myself out of these situations, I made mental health my priority and began to go to the gym consistently, which connected me to my emotions. I also began to journal which really helped me feel and understand my feelings. I used to ignore my thoughts and believed that what I was going through was normal, until I took a leap of faith and turned into a happy young woman. My life began to turn around for the better once I got out of these situations, and I have been blessed with opportunities that I never imagined having.

What is the most interesting or unique thing that has ever happened to you and/or what is the most interesting thing about you?

The most interesting thing about me is I love to go against gender stereotypes, and I do this through participating in activities that society believes only males can do. I love building furniture, I can drive a moving truck, I can change oil in a car, and I can change a car battery. Many men laugh at me when I tell them that I am passionate about doing these things, but I laugh right back in their face and prove to them that anyone can do these tasks. I believe that this is interesting because I do not allow outside voices to get in the way of me accomplishing things that women tend to steer away from out of fear that they will be judged. Something that happened to me in relation to this is that everyone is very surprised when I tell them that I have built all of the furniture in my room, and I think it would be interesting if I started a business where I offer lessons to teach women how to do these things.

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?

My career ambition is to be a social justice lawyer who represents victims of police brutality, as minorities struggle to find representation when they experience this. Many people are under the assumption that police brutality is not as big as an issue in Canada compared to the United States, and this explains the lack of lawyers who work in the social justice field. I would like to create equity in our country and raise awareness to the fact that police brutality does exist in Canada. It is important that these victims have their voices heard through legal representation, and this will tackle the social issue of systemic racism. I plan to accomplish this goal by completing my undergrad in criminology, followed by going to law school to eventually become a lawyer. I also intend on doing community work while completing school to gain more experience in working with these victims on a daily basis.

What would be your “dream job” in life?

My “dream job” in life is to be a well-known beauty and/or fitness model who has partnerships in various countries, so that I can live my dream of traveling the world while also modeling. I would love to get paid to travel, and I also have a great passion for being in front of the camera. Modeling will provide me with opportunities to meet people around the world, and I will also get to explore places I have dreamed of visiting. With great interest in makeup, hair, and fitness, I would love to work in fields that highlight these aspects through the model industry.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.

I was raised in Toronto and Mississauga by my loving and hardworking mom. Despite not being the richest person, my mom did what she could to ensure that my sister and I had a happy childhood. I spent my childhood spending a lot of time with my little sister and helping my mom take care of her when she was busy cooking or working. We valued girl time, and my mom organized arts and crafts for us to do, along with spa days where we would do each other’s nails and hair. As a child, I also spent a lot of time with my cousins at family gatherings, and we would play board games or dominoes at our sleepovers. Through my family’s challenges and struggles in my childhood, I thank my mom for molding my sister and I into the strong and confident young women we are today. My sister and I loved going to the park with our neighbours to play games and stay active together, especially in the summer.

List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.

Since I have stuck to the hospitality industry in all my jobs, an interesting job I have had is my current job as a server. It may sound generic and uninteresting, but everyday is a new experience at my work. I meet many different people every single day, and I learn about their backgrounds/lives through conversations at the table. I am also always on the go through my job which makes it more fun, in addition to the work events we have (e.g., Blue Mountain). Another interesting job I have done was helping my friend with his business where he cooked and handed out hot meals to homeless people for Thanksgiving. Although it was volunteering, it made me feel better than any amount of money could make me feel as I put a smile on people’s faces by giving them dinner.

List any volunteering you have done.

I believe that volunteering is a great way to discover things that you are passionate about, as you are doing it out of the goodness of your heart and not for money. I have been volunteering since I was a young child, and I look forward to participating in other volunteering as I get older and have more knowledge to give to communities. My volunteering experience includes:

• Bake sale with the United Way
• School Christmas Show
• Basketball game for underprivileged youth
• Hosted a clothing drive to donate to the Kidney Foundation of Canada
• Zumba fundraising event for my friend who passed away from brain cancer
• Handing out meals to homeless people

What is your most unusual talent?

My most unusual talent is that I have dreams that predict events which happen in the future. I like to think of this as a psychic power, as I always have dreams or nightmares and then they come true a few days later. For instance, I had a very vivid nightmare of a bridge collapsing one night and a few days later, I seen on the news that a bridge collapsed in another country. I hope that one day I can use this talent to predict the winning lottery numbers!

Where is the most interesting place you have been to?

The most interesting place I have been to is an island in the Caribbean named St. Maarten. I have visited the island 3 times, as I love exploring the different culture and way of life that is evident there. The island is separated into a Dutch and French side, and I find it very fascinating how different each of the sides are. There, I also got to experience the steepest zip-line in the world, along with their unique airport where the planes fly right over your head on the beach. I love meeting people from around the world, especially in Caribbean cultures, as it connects me to my roots. Their fresh food and beautiful beaches make the island an amazing place to experience.

What do you hope to be doing in ten years?

In ten years I will be 31 years old, and I anticipate living my dream life while doing what I love. I hope to be a well-known model who has completed work in empowering young women to step out of their comfort zones and take risks (for instance speaking at schools, etc). I also hope to be a lawyer with my own law firm that hires and gives opportunities to young individuals who want to work in the social justice field. I would love to have visited a large amount of countries, where I participate in charity work to raise money for victims of domestic violence. I would like to be known as the face of beauty and fitness brands that I model for, while also walking a few runway shows. In addition, in ten years I hope to have my own family started while being in a loving and healthy relationship. I want to accomplish everything that people said I couldn’t do.

Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t asked?

I would like to add that becoming Miss Universe Canada will give me the platform to voice what I am passionate about, while inspiring young girls who look like me to broadcast their beauty. The personal challenges I have went through in my life at home make me stand out, as I went against the odds by even having the courage to apply to this competition. The fact that I have the opportunity to be part of Miss Universe Canada is a blessing in itself, and I am confident that no matter who is crowned the winner, I will make a difference in the world. I cannot wait to empower young women to realize that there is a light at the end of every tunnel, and things always get better when you have a positive outlook on life.