More than a crown: Valerie Marie Perez’s journey of strength

KUAM News spoke with a beauty queen whose story goes far beyond the crown - defined by strength, perseverance, and a passion for inspiring others.  Here’s the inspiring journey of Ms. Classic Beauties International 2026–2027, Valerie Marie Perez.

She is a living reminder that true beauty is never just skin deep—it is found in resilience, strength, and unwavering tenacity. For Perez, that truth has taken center stage. Bringing home the island’s first crown of the year, her victory represents far more than a sash and a title—it marks a journey of self-discovery, healing, and growth.

“On my journey," she shared, " I learned to love myself a little bit more–I learned to respect myself in certain ways, and it gave me more confidence. I’m more confident about myself than I ever was. Before, I wasn’t really that confident, and it made me just love myself and love the path that I’m on now.”

That newfound confidence shining through on the international stage—earning her both Best in Evening Gown and Best in Country/Region Representation, as she competed alongside women representing Jamaica, Germany, and Ireland in the virtual pageant. But beyond the glitz and the glamour, it is Perez’s personal story that reveals her true beauty.

Using her platform with purpose, she courageously shared a message of addiction recovery and renewed hope—a testament to how far she has come. “That is based on my personal story. I was in active addiction for 13 years. Now, I want to inspire people by showing them that recovery is possible. If you can give even one person that sense of hope, then I fulfilled my purpose. I think that’s something that is on Guam a lot. A lot of people are in active addiction, and it’s hard to get out of it–but I really want to inspire people and show them that there is hope," she said.

Her story of perseverance hits close to home—serving as a powerful example not only for her community, but for her six children, who have witnessed her transformation firsthand. She said, “They’ve been with me, and they saw me through my active addiction and how I am now, and they’re very proud of that—they’re very proud that I’m there to be their mom, you know? And I just want them to know that if anything happened to them and they ended up on that path, that they saw their mom fight through it, and they can do it too if that had ever happened. I’m honored for them to be proud of me because they’ve never been proud of me before.”

And while she wears her crown with pride, Valerie is also looking ahead.  She is currently enrolled at the Guam Community College with plans to continue her education, all while working at the University of Guam Endowment Foundation—balancing purpose, passion, and possibility.

As she steps into this new chapter, she leaves others with a simple but powerful message of encouragement: “If it’s something that you really want to do, just go for it because you can do it and there’s nothing stopping you.”