She's got the beauty and the brains: Get to know newly crowned Miss World Philippines 2022 Gwendolyne Fourniol
Miss World Philippines has crowned a new queen, Gwendolyne Fourniol, and this fresh-faced French-Filipina can serve a lot more than looks.
This 21-year-old beauty bested 35 other contestants for the crown. One of her biggest passions that she spoke up about during the pageant is education.
Her mother, Sim Bolivar, grew up in poverty in Kabankalan Negros Occidental, but through the help of the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation, she was able to earn a degree in psychology.
The same organization, which sends underprivileged kids to school, is the main focus of Fourniol's Beauty with a Purpose project for the Miss World Philippines 2022 pageant.
During the Q&A portion of the competition, Fourniol was asked how she thinks the Philippines could cope with an education deficit accumulated due to the pandemic.
"As an advocate of education, I do agree that during the pandemic we have suffered the most. But the children who have a lack of access to education have suffered the greatest, and working hand-in-hand with ERDA Foundation, who empower the marginalized Filipino—I believe by uniting benefactors and encouraging our children and allowing them to go back to school, especially during this pandemic will make this world a better place because education is the greatest weapon against poverty," she said.
Fourniol herself pursued a bachelor's degree in economics at Oxford Brooks in London England before she joined the pageant. She also wanted to join an internship program with JP Morgan after graduation and hoped to tutor Filipinos in French.
The newly crowned queen grew up in France and didn't really dream of joining the world of pageantry. But her mother encouraged her to go for a screening.
Aside from pageantry and education, Fourniol has a set of pipes on her. During a press conference in May, she serenaded the audience with a breathtaking rendition of La vie en Rose in French.
Fourniol will represent the Philippines at the Miss World 2022 stage.
