Steffi Rose Aberasturi: The Sweet Life

CEBU, Philippines - The teen beauty queen would contort her face for wacky shots, yet try as one might, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bad angle on Steffi Rose Pearson Aberasturi.

Steffi, or Tepyang to her chums, is the reigning Miss Mandaue. More than being another pretty face with a crown, this bubbly 18-year-old is an animal-lover, a diligent college student, an aspiring entrepreneur and a travel enthusiast. And maybe future TV star?

She shares that her first pageant happened during Kindergarten at the San Roque Child Development Center in Liloan, where her family resides. As a grown-up, she later on bagged these following local beauty tilt titles: Sinulog Festival Queen 2011, Miss Campus Femme 2012 and Miss CESAFI 2013 first runner-up.

“My parents did not want me joining pageants at first, but with the help of Sir Danny Booc of Ozar Models, they relented,” Steffi says.

“It’s a nice feeling when I’m walking around Colon, for instance, and I hear people recognize me as Miss Mandaue. People treat me as someone special,” she says of a prestigious crown’s many perks.

Steffi says she is eyeing on competing at next year’s Reyna ng Aliwan pageant, a contest won by a Cebuana for the past five years.

But Steffi isn’t the only eye candy in the family. She has an elder sister Crystal Star, who is also into modeling and pageantry.

“We have a two-year gap, but people call us twins. I would say I’m the more fun sister. My sister is the serious one. She rarely goes out with her friends. We do everything together and we share the same room, so I was sad when she had to leave for Manila to review for her board exam,” confides Steffi.

She credits her folks for their tight bond and for their budding career as go-to mannequins in the local fashion scene. “The major influences in my life are my parents. If not for their support, I would not be able to join pageants and or participate in modeling gigs because they are the ones who encourage me. They tell me that these will be a good boost for my self-confidence.”

A Tourism sophomore of the University of San Carlos, Steffi admits she chose the course to fulfill her wanderlust. “I love traveling. Ever since I was a kid, it was my dream to be a flight attendant so that I can travel for free. The best trip I’ve had so far was in Bohol when I did a photo shoot in this beautiful resort.”

But if fate has other plans, we might see her on the boob tube as the next TV sweetheart instead, who knows?

“The manager of Sam Milby approached me once. He wanted me join Pinoy Big Brother along with Slater Young. I backed out because I wanted to finish high school first. He gave me his contact number and convinced me to undergo workshops to prepare me to become an actress. I’m determined to finish school first, because gaining a degree is very important for me. If the offer is still open after I’ve graduated college, I think I’ll grab the opportunity.”

Steffi looks up to star Anne Curtis as “she is a really inspiring person. She’s very beautiful, she has a good heart and she’s fun-loving.”

What will it take to win this stunning girl’s heart? “Someone sweet, presentable, with a nice personality and who will treat me like a princess.”

Steffi has lofty plans for her future, and these don’t necessarily include beauty pageants or show business. Food and fashion being in her top list of interests, she hopes to open her own restaurant and clothing boutique in the future.

Can this gal break the notion of being just that pretty face? “My motto is to always be the best you can be in everything you do,” she quips. If that is the maxim she lives by, then surely, this teenage dream will be one force to reckon with. (FREEMAN)