On Sunday night over 80 contestants were narrowed down, of which Miss Haiti, Raquel Pelissier, was one of Miss Universe's final three. It takes a lot to make it to that level of the competition, proving that Miss Haiti is definitely deserving of the Top 3 spot and possibly even the final crown. Alongside Miss Colombia and Miss France, she will vie for the title of Miss Universe, and she has a one third chance of securing the victory for herself and her country.
According to her bio on the Miss Universe website, Pelissier is a 25-year-old contestant who survived Haiti's tragic earthquake seven years ago. The bio says that the quake destroyed her town and "made her value her life and fight for her goals and dreams." One of those goals is to help find a cure for blindness. It's a issue close to her heart as glaucoma runs in her family. Her bio states that she's getting a Master’s Degree in Scientific Research in Optometry and Vision and is working on a research project about regeneration of optic nerves.
It's so inspiring that the contestants in Miss Universe aren't just gorgeous women, but that they're actually all really smart and driven. If Pelissier wins, I have no doubt that she would spend her Miss Universe tenure helping those in her country and around the world.
And, even if she doesn't emerge victorious, I'm sure she'll find other ways to achieve her dreams, because she is certainly passionate about her work.
