Miss Earth Australia 2018 Monique Shippen was crowned on 8th September 2018 as she became the official delegate of Australia in the upcoming Miss Earth 2018. Monique is a singer, songwriter, children’s party entertainer and teacher from Sydney with English and Filipino descent. A passionate woman about animals, she adopted a koala from the WWF to help in the conservation of Australia’s native wildlife. Monique loves writing and recording songs about her experiences and performing around Sydney. Her Bachelor's degree in music, Masters Degree in secondary teaching and study in early childhood education make her passionate about teaching young children.
In her spare time, she performs as princesses, superheroes and celebrities for children’s parties and loves inspiring children to follow their dreams. She also loves travelling around the world and went to school in France for a couple of months on a cultural exchange program to improve her French. Her favourite holiday was hiking through many of the beautiful national parks in the USA, as nothing beats natural beauty. Growing up near the beaches in Sydney, she understands how important it is to minimise the creation and use of plastics as it harms our marine life.
As she prepares for her international competition, Monique finds time to talk about her dreams, goals and guilty pleasures in an exclusive interview with Angelopedia.
INTERVIEW -
Q. How does it feel to be Miss Earth Australia 2018 and now a delegate of Miss Earth 2018?
It feels amazing and I am truly honoured to represent my beautiful country in the Philippines for the final. I could not believe it when they announced my name because it is a dream come true that my voice can now be heard as a true ambassador of the Earth.
Q. What inspired you to the world of pageantry?
Ever since I was a child, my mother and I would watch pageants on the television together. I always looked up to the strong, beautiful and intelligent women, who expressed what they stand for. Pageants are a wonderful platform for women all over the world to exchange culture and thoughts. Candidates are very determined, strong and work hard leading up to pageants to promote their cause, raise awareness and be positive role models.
Q. How would you like to represent yourself at the international stage of Miss Earth 2018?
I would like to represent Australia with a gentle nature, down to earth personality and passion. I want to make the most out of this amazing, life changing experience by making new friends from all over the world and hearing about their passions too.
Q. You’re a singer-songwriter as well. Is that a passion that turned into a profession?
Yes. I used to be shy as a child, so learning how to sing and play keyboard when I was 8 years old developed my self confidence. I started performing more and more on stage, which grew my love for singing. I started songwriting when I was 14 years old and did a songwriting course with Erana Clark, the vocal coach from Australian Idol at the time, to express my feelings and experiences through music. I released a 10 track album called ‘Headache’ and a single called ‘Electrifying’ in 2012 which made the semi finalist list of Unsigned Only (2015, 2016) and the International Songwriting Competition (2016).I am now performing all over Sydney and continuing to write more songs which I hope to release soon.
Q. Would you like to talk about your advocacy as the newly crowned Miss Earth Australia 2018 and delegate of Miss Earth 2018?
We are the only creatures in the history of our planet that creates ‘rubbish’. It’s a human thing. In nature, there is no such thing as rubbish. Animals use what they no longer need for different purposes. Australians use 4 billion plastic bags a year and we have one of the highest rates of tree clearing in any developed country. If each individual follows the 5 Rs - RETHINK, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, RESPECT, we can start by changing our everyday lifestyle in small ways to make a big impact.
As Miss Earth Australia 2018, I wish to educate children about plastic and food waste by visiting schools and teaming up with groups at university to approach businesses in making environmentally friendly choices (go plastic free, use alternatives). I am reducing my plastic usage by using my own reusable cutlery, straws, lunch containers, bags and cups. I also have a compost at home to reduce food waste and grow some of my own vegetables. My mission is to participate in as many tree planting and clean up days as possible, to purify the air and provide homes for animals affected by deforestation. I also want to volunteer at wildlife parks, use my music networking to host charity events to promote awareness and encourage the local community to get involved.
Q. Who is your role model, if any, and what values of his or her do you wish you could inculcate in your own life, and teach the next generation?
My role model is my mother. She is a strong woman who told me that nothing is impossible if you keep trying your hardest and to never give up on my dreams. She is always supportive and very nurturing which I believe are qualities you need as a role model. She also taught us to appreciate the little things in life and always be thankful. She would tell us stories about the small village she grew up in as a child and how they would make use of what they had by reusing and repurposing. I would love to teach the next generation that we must be determined to work together to nurture our Earth and be thankful for the beautiful resources around us, instead of taking much more than we need and wasting it.
Q. What is the one thing that keeps you going and inspires you to be the best version of yourself?
The one thing that keeps me going is that I managed to overcome the challenging years of being shy by putting myself out there, following my dreams and not turning back. I am so lucky to have a supportive family who has always been there for me and encouraged me to be the best I can be. But looking back to ‘little me’ and seeing how far I’ve come and everything I have achieved since then inspires me to teach others that anything is possible.
Q. Would you like to share your most special childhood memory with us?
I have so many special childhood memories because I come from a very close family. The day my brother was born, I will never forget because I was beyond excited to have a friend. We are still best friends now and have so many funny and amazing experiences together as kids. The most special would have to be the camping trips we used to go on around Australia. My parents would take turns driving all day while my brother and I would sing loudly in the backseat. Then we would set up the tent as a family, go for a swim at beach, go for walks in the bush, cook dinner and watch the stars.
Q. If you could be invisible for a day, how would you like to spend it?
If I was invisible for a day, I would love to take all the plastic straws, bags, containers and forks from as many shops as possible and replace them with friendlier alternatives!
As a singer/songwriter, I would also love to follow Taylor Swift or Katy Perry for a day and see how they write songs, record music videos or get ready for performances.
Q. What or who empowers you to be yourself and work hard every day?
My parents empower me to be myself because they are always very encouraging. I work hard every day because I want to make them proud and do the best that I can with the education they provided me. I have always been a very busy person, juggling study, work, singing and a social life, but feel very rewarded afterwards knowing what I have accomplished. If I know that what I do can change lives of people, I am happy to put everything I have into it. As a teacher, I feel very rewarded everyday, seeing my students grow.
Q. What is the one thing you can label as your guilty pleasure?
Eating lots of different cheeses and chocolate while watching Netflix all day in bed. Unfortunately, I do not get to do this a lot anymore. I also love watching children’s movies and TV shows.
Q. We’re sure that this competition is another milestone in your life. What is that one thing that you ultimately want to achieve?
Winning Miss Earth Australia 2018 is an amazing achievement that I will remember for the rest of my life. I want to be able to make a big difference by working with local communities and teach our future generations how to look after our Earth.
In terms of my career, I am working very hard to become a well known singer/songwriter. I want to focus on writing and recording music that reflects my experiences, but also that people can relate to.
In terms of my personal life, I would love to have my own children one day because I have always loved children and have so much love to give! Family is very important to me.
Q. If you are granted three wishes right now, what would you ask for?
1-I would ask that despite our differences in the world (culture, beliefs, race etc) that everyone gets along with each other with respect (no more wars or terrorism)
2- For us to live in a sustainable environment, everyone has the knowledge and tools to be respectful to the Earth and wildlife around us - living as environmentally friendly as possible
3- A role model as a well known singer and motivational speaker
Q. Lastly, is there any message that you would like to give to your fans of Angelopedia?
I would like to say thank you to all of my fans who have given me love and support from all over the world, it means a lot! I will do my best on this amazing experience and make my country, Australia proud. No matter what happens, I will always be woman of the Earth and come out of this as a winner because of all the knowledge I will gain from hearing about the other girls’ advocacies. If you would like to follow my Instagram it is moniquecharlotte_ and you can listen to my music online at officialmonami.comMaramingsalamat! See you in the Philippines!!