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Copyright 2005 MediaNews Group, Inc. She puts the Mrs. in Mrs. Puerto RicoBYLINE: LIZ WHITE Magaly Cajigas and her husband try to emulate the public presence of Hillary and Bill Clinton. "I just feel that wherever my husband and I go, we try to represent ourselves & as Latino professionals," Cajigas said. "We have to portray ourselves as a power couple." As Mrs. Puerto Rico of Connecticut, she will represent the state in the Mrs. Puerto Rico of United States Pageant in Tampa, Fla. This wife of nearly seven years encourages people to celebrate marriage. "You're doing it [the pageant] as a Mrs. and proud of the fact that you're married. You know, life doesn't end after you get married and you have kids," said Cajigas, a 32-year-old lifelong New Haven resident. Her husband, Eddie Cajigas, has been very supportive. "My husband calls himself my manager," said Cajigas, smiling. "He feels very proud." Eddie Cajigas echoed the sentiment. "I'm extremely honored and privileged [to be involved]," he said. "She's been like an ambassador, I feel, for married women." Eddie Cajigas works at Career Resources in Bridgeport as director of special populations. Magaly Cajigas takes the train with him every day to Bridgeport, where she is a secretary in the foundation office at Housatonic Community College. The couple's 2-year-old daughter, Alanna, "is going through terrible twos, but overall she's a joy& an inspiration," said Cajigas, who also hopes to inspire young women. "The main reason I want to participate in the pageant is because I felt that a lot of our youth nowadays don't have really good role models. And I felt that I was at a point in my life right now that I could be a really good role model to some of the youth," said Cajigas, a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, whose platform is empowerment through education. At an event of the Fairfield County Puerto Rican Parade Chapter on April 16, Cajigas -- who was Miss Puerto Rico of New Haven in 1992 -- was "glad" to be able to influence some young candidates for Miss Teen and Miss Puerto Rico of Bridgeport by offering them advice. "I felt like I was a coach for the night," she said. Cajigas has made several other appearances, including Read Across America Day; radio interviews; the Connecticut Food Bank Walk in New Haven; the Gumercindo del Rico award ceremony; Harding High School's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day; and an interview on Univision Network, a Boston-based Spanish television station. She appreciates the local acceptance. "Bridgeport has really embraced me with the title and supported me all the way," she said. Cajigas will compete in Tampa on June 5 against three other contestants, representing Delaware, Illinois, and Maryland. Each of the four women earned her state title through a state application process. To participate, each had to be a citizen of the United States, at least 21 years old and at least 25 percent Hispanic, and married and living with her husband. The winner will be crowned Mrs. Puerto Rico of United States and will advance to represent Puerto Rico -- as a U.S. territory -- in the national Mrs. United States competition in Las Vegas July 24-27. First place prizes in the Florida pageant include an all-expenses paid trip to the Las Vegas national, the crown, jewelry, and gift certificates. Eddie Cajigas feels his wife's ambition will be valuable in the pageant. "She has a competitive spirit that I absolutely love," he said. If she wins, she will be obligated to make 12 appearances -- defined as working with a nonprofit or civic group -- during the year of her reign. Pam Bolter, executive director of Florida U.S. Pageants, said the goal of the competition is to "promote marriage," especially because of high divorce rates today. She said the winner should be a role model, recognizing both the joys as well as the challenges of marriage. "These are real women, they've had their struggles. Everything is not a 1950s TV show," she said. For the Mrs. title, the judges are more interested in "inner beauty" than physical appearance, Bolter said. They are "looking for someone who is intelligent and involved in her own community" and "comfortable in her own skin." Bolter said Cajigas' Web site is "excellent" because it lists all her appearances with accompanying photos. "She's walking the walk," she said. All funds raised from the pageant are donated to Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation to fulfill last wishes for women dying of breast cancer. To date, the Florida U.S. Pageants have donated over $25,000. Her parents have emphasized the importance of her Hispanic heritage. "One thing that my parents always instilled in me is to be proud of where you came from and to pass that on," she said. Growing up, Cajigas said her parents, Gloria and Herminio Cordero, helped her persevere despite violence and drugs in her neighborhood and school. Her mother, a Headstart teacher, kept her concentrated on school. Her father, a carpenter for Electric Boat Submarines, was a model for hard work. "I just think all of those factors have made me a much stronger person and more focused," Cajigas said. Dana Kalina, a former co-worker at Yale-New Haven Hospital -- where Cajigas was a physician referral specialist -- said that what stands out about her is that "she's one of the most genuine people you'll ever meet," she said. "I believe that she would represent Connecticut from her heart." For more information about Magaly Cajigas, visit www.mrspr.us/ct. For more information about Florida U.S. Pageants visit www.flauspageants.com. Anson C. Smith |
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