Page 16 - Mid Valley Times 9-24-20 E-edition

MISS DINUBA Continued from page A1
Dinuba Car Show, the Cinco de Mayo pageant and Festival, and even this year’s Raisin Day Festival — which normal- ly would have occurred this weekend — were all canceled for 2020 due to the pandemic.
Only 50 guests were al- lowed at this year’s pageant to keep in compliance with pan- demic precautions. Talent por- tions were pre-recorded and shown during the event, which was broadcasted live via Dinu- ba High’s D.E.T.V Emps chan- nel on You Tube (with more than 300 viewers taking in the pageant from home).
But the change in venue and measures taken to pull off this year’s pageant are not the only things that made the 2020 pageant an historical event.
With the crowning of Gon- zalez as this year’s Miss Dinu- ba, she becomes the first con- testant in Dinuba’s pageantry history to win three crowns in three different pageants – a Triple Crown.
As a student at Washington Intermediate School, Gonzalez won her first crown as Cinco de Mayo Princess in 2016. At last year’s Cinco de Mayo pag- eant, Gonzalez received her second crown — this time as the 2019 Cinco de Mayo Queen. Saturday, she pulled off the hat trick with the granddaddy of them all — claiming the title of Miss Dinuba.
“I’ve dreamt about this ev- er since I was a little girl,” said Gonzalez after being crowned. “I’ve looked up to every single Miss Dinuba that has been in my lifetime.”
When asked how it felt to be Dinuba’s first Triple Crown winner, Gonzalez was at a loss for words.
“I don’t have words,” she expressed after a brief mo-
Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
This year’s Miss Dinuba contestants made time to pose for a photo prior to the start of the pageant on Sept. 19. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the pageant was forced to take place at an outdoor venue on Road 114. This year’s contestants were (left to right) Sienna Gonzalez, Maggie Dicochea, Marina Velasquez, Natalie Gonzalez, Samantha Camaquin, Karen Cabellos, Tyra Adair and Julianna Tuttle.
Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
Natalie Gonzalez achieved a his- torical feat on Sept. 19, becoming Dinuba’s first Triple Crown win- ner. Along with being crowned Miss Dinuba on Saturday night, Gonzalez was also crowned Cin- co de Mayo Princess in 2016 and Cinco de Mayo Queen in 2019.
“She’s always very hard- working,” her mother ex- plained. “She’s got a good head on her shoulders and she’s very motivated and has major goals. She’s so persistent. She’s going to do big things.”
Gonzalez currently holds an accumulative GPA at Dinuba High of 4.67.
Three other crowns were awarded on Saturday night. Two of them went to 16-year- old Samantha Camaquin, who was crowned both Miss Con- geniality and First Runner-Up.
Second Runner-Up went to Julianna Tuttle, who chose a platform entitled “Soldiers for Siblings” after being inspired by the deployment of her older brother, Lucas Tuttle. Lucas was able to watch the pageant live while stationed in Okina- wa, Japan.
Other candidates running for Miss Dinuba were Karen Cabellos, Marina Velasquez, Sienna Gonzales, Tyra Adair and Maggie Dicochea.
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ment of silence. “I’m just re- ally thankful for the experi- ence, and all the experiences, because I learned so much throughout everything. And I really feel it’s made me who I am.”
Because this year’s Cinco de Mayo pageant was canceled due to COVID-19 guidelines,
A jubilant family posed with this year’s Miss Dinuba on the evening of Sept. 19. Pictured with Natalie Gonzalez, are her par- ents, Juan Carlos and Sandra Gonzalez, as well as Natalie’s sister Hope, who was the inspiration behind her platform on
Down syndrome.
Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
Gonzalez would have retained the crown this year had she not run for Miss Dinuba. How- ever, in order to run for Miss Dinuba, she relinquished her Cinco de Mayo crown as con- testants are not allowed to hold two crowns simultaneously.
For her platform, Gonzalez will focus on trying to bring
awareness to Down syndrome. Inspiring her platform was her little-big sister Hope, who was born a few years prior to Nat- alie with the disorder. It was through her experiences with Hope that Gonzalez said she learned the true meaning of unconditional love and hopes to make others aware of the ability people with down syn- drome have to be true contrib- utors to society.
“She’s a great sister,” said Hope as she too basked in the limelight of her sister’s crown- ing.
This year’s Miss Dinuba also receives a $2,500 schol- arship, something Gonzalez plans to use at the University of California, Berkley. She plans to study medicine.
“I want to become a doctor and serve the Central Valley and make a change in my com- munity in the same way that someone has made it for me,” she said of her future plans.
According to her mother Sandra Gonzalez, Natalie has worked hard for all her accom- plishments.
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