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I am so not a pageant girl, but I signed up for the Miss Junior Florida contest because I thought it would be good experience.

I want the public to know that it will be an honor for me to meet them and spend a few special moments with all those who helped me through my filmed career.

The great thing about filming a film is that you all have your final day's shooting, but you always know that you're all going to be coming back for the premiere.

It's my first presenting role so I'll be nervous, but it's going to be great fun. I can't wait to sample the food and meet the celebrities. Hopefully I can inject some of my own glamour.

If you're comfortable with yourself, then you'll look beautiful. If you're not feeling comfortable with yourself, than that kind of shows. I think that as cheesy as the pageant industry can be seen at times, it actually does help women - boosting their confidence and growing into their own. I have to give it credit for that.

In pageants, you are evaluated from head to toe and it's obviously all about looks, and as vain as that is, they can also bring you lots of opportunities to do amazing things.

Pageant makeup is so different from your day-to-day look. When you're on stage you really have to pack it on.

Pageants were an amazing platform that gave a little girl like me from the mountains of my beautiful Puerto Rico a chance to travel, explore the world, meet amazing people, work for great charities and be a voice to empower women wherever I went. For all those things, I am grateful.

It's odd doing a movie, and then a year and half later having to go to a premiere and talk about what you did, and get dressed up and have your picture taken.

I don't think anything can prepare you for a crew to come in and actually film you as yourself. It's kind of frightening to think that all of a sudden people are going to know how you are, and how you act on a day-to-day basis.