Penn State College of Communications comMedia

Miss Latina PSU has passion for poetry and her roots

By Maricela A. Moquette

PSU College of Communications

Bracelets clanking against each other, red lip-gloss, and a popping personality. Winner of 2007 Miss Latina Penn State, Stephanie Raposo, makes her way around her small 3-bedroom apartment, which she shares with two other Penn State students. Her room is covered with pictures of her family and Jazz and R&B artists. She finally is able to take a break from her busy semester schedule to talk about what she loves most - poetry.

Writing since she was a little girl, Raposo shares her heart's passion, "I would just run to my room and write on everything ... I would write on the walls."

Born to a Dominican mother, she stays connected to her Latin roots. Last year, Raposo participated in a pageant representing the Latino culture at Penn State and was crowned Miss Latina PSU.

As part of a requirement for earning her crown, she put together a program in which young college women can discuss the social dilemmas they are facing. The purpose of the program was to inspire women to talk about private issues in an intimate setting. Women shared relationship problems with both friends and boyfriends and relied on each other for support and advice. Raposo set up the program as a type of "ice-breaker" where each individual wore a pin. Participants were not allowed to cross their legs or arms to symbolize the importance of body language.

A basket was passed around the room with real-life scenarios. The group needed to provide "help" or "advice" for the women in the scenarios. Afterward, there was a discussion about what each woman learned while attending the program.
The event lasted for about an hour but the lessons learned may have impacted those who attended for a lifetime.

Raposo has written more than 100 poems inspired by her experiences, especially her experiences with love. She comments that she has cried, as have all people, but she says that tears only ensure growth and it's one way to grow-up.