How a woman from the Dominican Republic became Miss New York

By Molly Shea January 20, 2018 | 10:06pm | Updated

Modal Trigger How a woman from the Dominican Republic became Miss New York
Genesis Suero only became an American citizen seven years ago — but she’s already the queen of New York.

“I love, love, love my city,” said the 26-year-old Harlem resident who was crowned Miss New York 2018 after beating out a group of 133 contestants on Jan. 14. She’ll go on to represent the state in the Miss USA pageant later this year. “It’s the American dream. I wasn’t born here, and now look where I am.”

Suero moved from the Dominican Republic to Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, with her father, a cab driver, in 2005. But even before landing stateside, she dreamed of competing in pageants.

“I remember watching TV in the Dominican Republic in 2002, and I saw one of the contestants for Miss Universe, and I said, this is what I want to do. This is what I want to be. This is going to be my career.”

But it’s her other career that has proved an excellent training ground for the pageant world.

For the past six years, Suero has worked as a male-skincare specialist at Bloomingdale’s flagship 5th Avenue store. “English is not my first language,” she said, “but when I work I always talk to everybody in English” — an experience that’s boosted her confidence and public speaking prowess.

Two of her regular customers even sponsored her bid for the crown after hearing she was entering the pageant. “They saw these things … in me, and they didn’t hesitate to invest,” she said. “They got a good deal!”

She has an incredibly packed schedule, as the beauty queen is also wrapping up her bachelor’s degree as a business management major at Hostos Community College. But Sueros has her pageant prep down to a science. She wakes up at 5:45 a.m., downs a Nespresso, and makes an omelet to fuel her busy days.

“I have the gift of being skinny, petite, so I must take care of what I have,” she said. That means workouts at grueling boot-camp gyms Tone House and the Fitting Room, and even running last year’s New York City marathon. The famous race helped deepen her love of the city.

“My favorite part of the marathon is the Verrazano Bridge,” she said. “Oh my god, beautiful!” This year Suero plans on running in her sash.

The one thing that Suero doesn’t have time for is dating. “I have a lot of admirers, but I’m so busy,” she said. “I get invited to dates, and I wish I could go, but I can’t.” For now, she said, “I’d rather be alone, working on me.”

Suero sees the pageants as her chance to empower those around her.

“I really want to share the gift that God has gifted me,” she said. “He hasn’t gifted me financially, but he has gifted me a very amazing personality. I can make people laugh and I can make them happy, and if you can do that you don’t need money.”

https://nypost.com/2018/01/20/how-a-woman-from-the-dominican-republic-became-miss-new-york/