Miss Universe® Canada 2008 - The Magic Continues

AGE: 24 | HEIGHT: 6'0" | HOMETOWN: SCARBOROUGH, ON

Genida is a 24 years old student; currently finishing her final semester at the University of Toronto, double majoring in Mathematics and Physics.

She appreciates the growing opportunities for women in today's business world, and plans to continue her education by completing a Masters Degree in Finance and a Real Estate License.

Sponsored by: MG Mode, Cosmedicare, David Scott Cosmedics, Bellair Tan, Family and Friends.

Biography (click to open) ±

Genida was born and raised in a small town in Albania, then moved to Toronto with her family when she was 16 years old. She embraces the balance between the old-fashioned moral values she grew up with and the open-minded views, acquired from living in Canada. Thanks to her background, Genida is hard working and grounded, but very opinionated and outspoken at the same time. Her philosophy in life is: "People's own fears are the source of their discouraging comments. If someone has done it before, it is doable, so you can accomplish it as well."

She has volunteered on many fund raisings for HIV/AIDS, Sick Kids, Cancer Research, and Cystic Fibrosis. Her most recent involvement has been increasing awareness on Energy Conservation, and the consequences of Global Warming. If Genida were to become Miss Universe Canada, she would like to work more closely with abused women, cancer patients, and children from broken homes.

Genida has been modeling since she was 19 years old. She loves to travel, meet new people and especially learn new things. She says that 'learning and awareness increase on issues are very crucial', because 'lack of proper knowledge makes it easier for people to ignore them'.

Questionnaire (click to open) ±

Are you currently a student?
Yes. I am studying Mathematics and Physics at the University of Toronto.

Are you currently employed? If yes, what is your occupation?
Yes. I am a bartender.

Have you completed secondary school? If yes, where?
Yes. R. H. King Academy.

Have you completed university/college? If yes, where?
I am still in school.

Have you completed any technical/professional school?
No

Languages spoken Fluently (please include your native language if English is not your native language)
English, Albanian, and Italian

List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc).
I have modeled for a few years, and I have taken salsa lessons at the Spanish Centre in Toronto.

In what sports, if any, have you participated and how long have you participated in each sport?
Swimming: I grew up by the sea, so I have been swimming since I was a kid.
Tennis: 2 years
Beach volleyball: 3 years

Please list any schools and universities (public/private/graduate/trade or technical) you have or are attending, as well as the area of study, graduation date and any degree or certification you received.
I am attending the University of Toronto at Scarborough, studying Math and Physics. I will be graduating in May 2008 with a Bachelor of Science Degree.

What charity/charities have you supported with your time and/or resources over past two years?
- Global warming and raising awareness on how to conserve energy.
- Cancer research
- HIV/AIDS research
- Cystic Fibrosis

What would be your "dream job" in life?
I think it would be an amazing experience to be on the Victoria Secret catwalk.

Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life? Why?
My best friend Ellen has had the most influence in my life. We have been friends since I moved to Canada, 8 years ago. During all this time, she has been the one person I could always count on. She is the most amazing and trustworthy person I know. Ellen has great standards and moral values, and always accepted me for who I was from the beginning.

It was hard for me fitting in the North American school, and my English wasn't the greatest back then, but she made me feel very comfortable in myself. She never judged me, and was always there to give me great advice whenever I needed it. She is a very important part of my life, because she is part of my becoming who I am as a person today.

What is the proudest personal accomplishment (other than being in this or any other beauty pageant competition)?
That would be my almost completed Math and Physics university degree. Most people are surprised at the fact that I chose a hard program and stuck with it. I take pride in this, because it shows that intellectually, women can conquer just about any field man can.

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?
My goal is to have my own business one day. I will be graduating this spring with a Mathematics degree, and plan to get my MBA in Finance.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
I was born and raised in a very small town in Albania. In my town everyone pretty much knew each other. My home country was communist until I was 7 years old, but the economic problems and political wars continued for many years afterwards. Even though my parents had better jobs than the average person back then, they still could not afford to spoil me. I grew up having very little, so I think that's what makes me very down-to-earth and low maintenance.

I was very shy as a kid, and was always taught to be polite and respectful. I was always made fun of for being so tall, but looking back at it, I think it kept me grounded, and more focused in school. I enjoyed reading and I was a very good student. My parents were both educated, and I wanted to be a teacher like my mother. I grew up in a very traditional and old- fashioned environment, so I have always known the value of hard work and determination. Even today, at 24 years old, my parents are very protective of me, but I don't mind it, because all they ever wanted was to see me be happy and successful.

List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.
I consider myself to be very low maintenance and down to earth. I have very good work ethics and I take every job seriously. I would say the most unusual job has been being a salad girl at a restaurant for 2 years. It is unusual because it wasn't the cleanest job. At the end of the day I would smell like onions and garlic. I wanted to model and that job was far from it, but I stuck around for a long time, and in the end got promoted to be a bartender at that restaurant. I think in the end hard work and patience get paid off.

List any volunteering you have done.
I love kids and one of my future options is to teach, so I have volunteered at high schools and elementary schools.

Where is the most interesting place you have been?
The most interesting place I have visited has been China. I was there competing on the Miss Global Beauty Queen Pageant. We went to a city called Ningbo and other small villages. It was very different from North America. The people are friendly and very curious to know about you and the country you are from. I come from a third world country myself, so I grew up with having very little of just about anything. It reminded me of how much we take some things for granted in Canada.

What makes you unique and different from the other contestants?
I have a very mathematical and logical thinking mind. Every IQ test I have taken I have scored in the top 0.5-1% of the population.

What is your philosophy of/in life?
People's negative comments are a source of their own insecurities. If something has been done before, it is doable, so with hard work, you can do it as well.

What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
In ten years, I hope to have a family and a carrier. I love children, so there is no doubt in my mind that I will be a mother in ten years. Also, I hope to have completed my MBA in Finance. I have a very mathematical, logical and business thinking mind, but I also love people and socializing. In ten years, I hope to use these skills to start my own business, as I already have a few business ideas in mind.

Is there anything you would like to tell us about yourself? Something unique that has happened to you? Some interesting thing about you?
I have been modeling since I was 19 years old and I really enjoy being on stage. I have also had some small acting experiences. Recently, I was the host of a two-part documentary about soccer on Sun TV, called Footie.