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Friday 8 august 2025 LOcAL

Miss Aruba 2025 contestant, Sammie van Pinxteren:

“I realized that you don’t always get a second chance”

Miss Aruba 2025 will be closed off, they don’t want a priority.” Sammie doesn’t
taking place this Sunday to talk. I want to help them want to “just be another
at 7pm. Four contestants talk because it feels better. beauty queen” who does
will try to win the crown to “a little community service
represent our island as a She says that for a while, she here and there.” She wants
beauty queen on the local also didn’t want to speak of to help end the taboo that
and international platform. her experience, “but even stops people from talking
Aruba Today spoke with so, one way or another, I about and finding help for
Sammie van Pinxteren, one chose to find help and I did their problems. She said that
of the contestants, who told it.” And she realized that it is if she wins Miss Aruba, she
us about her inspiration, necessary to talk, and after will dedicate 100 percent
passion and determination doing it, she became a to Miss Aruba and will not
to achieve all her goals. lot more comfortable and do anything else during
open telling her story. “Now her reign. “They will have a
Sammie, 23, was born and I can truly LIVE. I make sure good queen if they choose
raised in Aruba, and she is that every day is full. I talk me. I know myself, and I will
a very positive person full to people [more deeply]. It really give 110 percent, full
of joy and life. She said that fills my heart.” speed,” she says.
she is determined to live life
intentionally and do things to Art Fashion, y did a positive and determined. Regarding her hobbies About the pageant itself,
out of her comfort zone. Her lot of modelling, also in Sammie told Aruba Today and passion, Sammie says Sammie says that it will be
decision to take part in Miss America. And it is a passion that back during the that she really loves nature: a “completely different”
Aruba was motivated on of mine. When I went to Covid-19 pandemic, she hiking, taking her beloved show. “This year there are
her desire to share her story the Netherlands, I sort of became seriously ill and had dog on walks, and going only four [contestants]. For
and bring positive change let it go, but when I came to be hospitalized. After this to the beach. “Something the show to be full, it will
to Aruba. After studying back to Aruba I missed it experience, she had a new that I really love above all be a completely different
in the Netherlands, she and wanted to continue.” appreciation for life. “I feel is changing things around show.”
missed Aruba, its people, Sammie brings another like I can appreciate things at home, going to all kinds
and decided to come perspective, one more more. I realized that you of stores and putting new As a Miss Aruba contestant,
back to her island and help creative, to her modelling, don’t always get a second vases, new flowers, new there are a lot of girls
people prosper. by putting her unique, chance... Just know that things, to just pop life at who will see Sammie and
positive personality into it. life can end in a moment, home. I really love that get inspired to go into
Sammie has been because that is what I felt feeling so much.” modelling, beauty and
modelling for many years, Currently Sammie works in in that moment.” With her more. Sammie says to these
and she said that everything marketing, where with her story, she wants to help As mentioned, Sammie girls: “Live, that’s for sure.
started when she was only authentic personality she people with their physical chose to take part in Miss Live and do the best with
7 years old and went on adds another light to her and mental health, which Aruba to expand her your life. And if you feel like
a cruise. “There were a lot work. “I want to show that is tied to Sustainable platform and reach more you don’t have the strength
of photographers around you can be authentic and Development Goal people. She said that if she to want to do that, find
the cruise, and a man told you don’t always have to number 3. “You still see a lot wins, she wants to go close help. Even if it is writing me
me ‘go do modelling.’ I do what everyone else of people in Aruba who are with the community and a message, to someone in
was very young still, y just does. Be yourself, do things actually suffering in silence. help as many people as the organization, or anyone
laughed. But one thing differently and you’ll feel I want to help people feel possible. “I really want to around you, just a hint that
led to another, and in better,” she says. better, healthier. Especially try and be more personal, something is happening.
the end I went to work after the time of Covid, and really put everything Know that the door is open
with [Aruban designer] But she wasn’t always so people became more that I have in my life right for a good conversation
Ronchi [de Cuba], y went now aside, and make this and for help.”q

Aruba’s neighborhoods; the meaning behind their names

Just like any other coun- Arawak-Indian origin. A tory. by father Pablo Algemesi
try, Aruba has unique and (or Ha) is an Indo-Antil-
beautifully named neigh- lean generalizing word. This neighborhood’s abbre- If you’d like to know more
borhoods that all form a If you were to change a viation is; A. about the Alto Vista
part of its culture and de- part of the word “Ayo”, Church’s beautiful history,
velopment. Many of these namely ‘Yo’, to ‘Yu’ and Alto Vista stay tuned for our article
names have a historical make ‘Ayu’, it would mean This word combination can where we tell you all you
background and mean- “white.” be roughly translated to a need to know about it for
ing that teaches us about ‘high point of view’ and the when you visit it.
the island and its rich cul- However, as we now know, neighborhood received
ture every day. With this the name of the neighbor- tions became a well loved this name from the Hill. This neighborhood’s abbre-
series, we want to take you hood is ‘Ayo’. The word ‘Yo’ and visited attraction at viation is; AV.
on a journey of discovery, stands for Yocahu, which is Aruba that is held in high In the surrounding areas,
where you’ll learn not only another word for ‘creator’ regards by both tourists DomingoAntonia Silvestre
the beautiful names but the in Arawak/Taino and in the and locals alike. built his by his own means
history behind it that gives it Papiamento spoken today, the very first chapel or
life and meaning. ‘Ayo’ means ‘bye’. church of Aruba. The walls
If you’d like to know more of this church were made
At Ayo, you can find some about the rock formations with rocks but the roof was
Ayo of the most well known rock at Ayo, stay tuned for our made of dry corn stalks. The
article where we tell you all
Ajo, or Ayo, is a word with formations. These forma- church was inaugurated
about its location and his-