Turning Setbacks Into New Strength
For Cithaly Escobedo Goyzueta, returning to the world of Miss Perú is about much more than competition. It represents a personal transformation, a second opportunity and a chance to stand confidently in the identity she has spent years discovering.
Her story began in Cusco and took her beyond Peru, including a chapter in Argentina where she pursued Performing Arts and developed a broader perspective on creativity, communication and personal expression. Along the way, she also became a licensed real estate broker and auctioneer. Today, she continues her education in Peru while managing a real estate business with her mother and preparing for another important chapter in her pageant journey.
What makes her return different is not simply the experience she has gained. It is the confidence that has come from understanding who she is and what she wants her journey to represent.
A Second Chapter With Miss Perú
Cithaly first entered the Miss Perú journey in 2021 at only 19 years old. Competing for the first time, she earned the position of first runner up in Cusco.
Public records from the 2021 Miss Perú competition list Cithaly Paola Escobedo Goyzueta among the Cusco challengers in the national competition.
At that stage of her life, however, the experience was accompanied by uncertainty. Like many young women stepping into an environment where appearance, confidence and public presence are closely observed, she struggled with insecurities and the pressure of expectations.
Years later, she sees that experience differently.
The woman returning to the competition is no longer the 19 year old who was afraid of being completely herself. She is coming back with professional experience, academic ambitions, greater maturity and a clearer understanding of the value of authenticity.
For Cithaly, the goal is not to construct a new personality for the spotlight. It is to bring her real personality into it.
From Performing Arts to Real Estate
One of the most interesting aspects of Cithaly’s journey is the variety of worlds she has explored.
Her studies in Performing Arts gave her an understanding of expression and presence, while her professional training in real estate introduced her to negotiation, responsibility and business. She has also continued developing herself academically through her Law studies in Peru.
These experiences may appear unrelated at first, but together they have shaped a woman comfortable with learning and adapting.
Real estate has also become a meaningful part of her professional life. Today, she works alongside her mother in their real estate business, gaining practical experience while continuing her education.
Her professional journey reflects an important part of her personality. She does not appear interested in being defined by a single label. Instead, she is building a life where business, education, communication and personal development can exist alongside one another.
A Passion for Languages and New Perspectives
Cithaly’s curiosity also extends beyond her professional life.
She speaks Spanish and English, has knowledge of Japanese and is currently learning Italian. For her, languages are not simply academic skills. They represent opportunities to understand different cultures and connect with people from different backgrounds.
Her time in Argentina further expanded her perspective, giving her an experience outside her home country while pursuing her studies.
That international exposure has become part of the way she approaches life. It has encouraged her to remain curious, keep learning and avoid limiting herself to one environment.
Turning a Difficult Experience Into Purpose
Perhaps the most meaningful part of Cithaly’s story is the way she has transformed a deeply personal experience into a social purpose.
She has openly spoken about experiencing an eating disorder and how that period changed her understanding of prevention, education and mental health.
Instead of allowing the experience to remain only a difficult chapter in her personal history, she chose to turn what she learned into something that could potentially help others.
That vision led to VERNOS, a social initiative focused on preventing eating disorders among children and adolescents through educational talks in schools.
The initiative reflects a belief that prevention begins with knowledge. By creating opportunities for young people to understand warning signs and develop a healthier relationship with themselves, Cithaly hopes to encourage conversations that can happen before a serious problem develops.
For her, this work represents a different definition of achievement.
Success is not only about titles, recognition or professional milestones. It can also be measured by what someone chooses to do with the lessons learned from difficult experiences.
The Power of Trying Again
Cithaly’s message to young women is simple but powerful. A dream does not become less meaningful simply because it does not happen the first time.
Her own experience with Miss Perú is an example of that philosophy.
The first competition gave her experience. The years that followed gave her perspective. The challenges she faced gave her resilience. Now, she is bringing all of those lessons into her next chapter.
She believes setbacks can become part of the preparation rather than evidence that a person should stop trying.
That philosophy extends beyond pageants. Whether someone is pursuing a career, starting a business, continuing an education or working toward a deeply personal goal, the path rarely looks exactly as expected.
For Cithaly, perseverance means continuing even when confidence is still developing.
Learning to Become Herself
At the center of her story is a lesson about self acceptance.
Cithaly spent years comparing herself with external ideas of what a successful woman should look like and how she should behave. Eventually, she realized that constantly trying to become someone else was taking energy away from becoming the best version of herself.
That realization changed the way she viewed confidence.
Instead of focusing endlessly on what she wanted to change, she began recognizing what she already possessed and learning how to develop it.
Her philosophy is not about refusing to grow. It is about growing without losing yourself in the process.
That distinction has become one of the strongest themes in her journey.
Doing It Afraid
One phrase captures Cithaly’s approach particularly well: do it afraid.
For her, courage does not necessarily mean feeling completely prepared. Sometimes, courage means taking the next step despite uncertainty and allowing experience to provide the lessons that preparation alone cannot.
That mindset has helped her move from a young woman entering her first pageant to a more experienced professional balancing education, business, advocacy and personal ambition.
Her return is therefore about more than a crown.
It is about demonstrating what can happen when someone gives herself permission to grow, make mistakes, learn and try again.
A Message Beyond the Crown
As Cithaly continues this new chapter, her ambitions extend beyond personal recognition.
She wants young girls and women to understand that there is no single timeline for success. Some dreams take longer. Some require another attempt. Others demand a complete change in direction before they become possible.
What matters, she believes, is continuing to move forward.
Her story brings together the worlds of pageantry, business, education, languages and social advocacy, but the strongest thread connecting them is authenticity.
Cithaly is not returning to Miss Perú to become someone else.
She is returning as the woman she has become.
And perhaps that is what makes this chapter of her journey more meaningful than the first. The young woman who once questioned whether she was enough has grown into someone determined to use her voice, embrace her experiences and encourage others to keep pursuing the dreams that matter to them.
Her journey is still unfolding, but its message is already clear. You do not have to wait until fear disappears to move forward. Sometimes, the most important step is simply choosing to take it.
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