It can be difficult to put education first when success is right in front of you. One former student is finally realizing her entertainment dreams on a national stage after first earning her degree.

Virginia Stille (BA Journalism, 2012) participated in the “Nuestra Belleza Latina” competition that began on Feb. 16, 2014.

“This was a great opportunity to gain some national exposure for my singing career,” Stille said. “The show was a great stepping-stone. Millions of viewers from all over America were watching, including Puerto Rico. I just appreciated the experience and the opportunity to be involved with ‘Nuestra Belleza Latina.’”

Stille participated in the eighth season of “Nuestra Belleza Latina,” which has been airing on Univision since 2007. The prizes included $250,000 and an opportunity to be an entertainment personality on Univision.

“I try to explain the competition as similar to ‘America’s Next Top Model,’” Stille said. “However, the competition focuses on more than just being a pretty face. We are judged on beauty, talent, physique and personality.”

Stille has been singing and dancing since a young age. She said this made a difference during preliminary auditions.

“I was one of the few girls who had real entertainment experience and a college degree.”
- Virginia Stille

“Those two things definitely helped me stand out. Through my entertainment career, I have been fortunate enough to make connections in California and Texas. This provided me the opportunity to gain some national connections.”

Stille said she was urged by her mother and sister to audition for the show. She auditioned in December 2013 during the Texas auditions in San Antonio.

The 60 semi-finalists were flown to Miami and split into two groups of 30 women each. Stille participated in the first group of women. The 30 women were narrowed down to 12 after the swimsuit and group dance portion of the competition. Stille made it to the top 12 of this group and performed her talent of mariachi singing. Stille did not advance further and was eliminated after the talent portion of the program.

“The response from the judges and producers was very positive,” Stille said. “As soon as I was eliminated, they told me that I was one of the most talented women there. I would not change anything from my performance.”

Stille said she has been performing since a young age and had debated whether to begin her music career before college. She said she had a few opportunities to start a career before college but her parents wanted Stille to earn something they never had the chance to obtain.

“I am a first-generation college student,” Stille said. “My parents always stressed the importance of a college education to me.”

Kelly Kaufhold, assistant professor of journalism and electronic media, taught Stille while she was a student at Texas Tech. Kaufhold said he could tell Stille was going to be successful after graduation.

“The support that I have received from Texas Tech is amazing. It is good to know that my school is behind me and has been supporting me in my journey. I am very grateful.”
- Virginia Stille

“I taught Virginia in two classes while she was at Tech,” Kaufhold said. “Her tenacity and willingness to go the extra step for a story have obviously benefitted her long after graduation.”

Kaufhold said he could see Stille blending her classroom and entertainment experience in the future. He said Stille could use some of her journalism knowledge to be successful in a future career.

“I can definitely see Virginia as some sort of entertainment reporter in the future,” Kaufhold said. “Her journalism background will benefit her because she knows all sides of the field. She has been taught how things work behind the camera and in front of it.”

Stille said she had no trouble balancing her entertainment career and her undergraduate studies. She has performed with multiple musical groups during her time as a student at Texas Tech and after.

“I performed with Mariachi Mexico Lindo while attending Texas Tech,” Stille said. “I have also performed with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. My most recent performance with Mariachi Vargas was last October in Corpus Christi to its largest crowd in six years.”

Stille said many of her former professors and friends from Texas Tech have been following her career. She said the response on social media has been positive.

Todd Chambers, associate dean for undergraduate affairs, said he has gotten the opportunity to follow Stille and her career after graduating. He said he could tell how excited Stille was for this opportunity during her initial pre-show interviews.

“Trajectory,” Chambers said. “That is how I characterize Stille’s career. People like Virginia are rare. She is going places.”

Chambers agrees that it was a good idea for Stille to earn a degree before pursuing her entertainment career. He said Stille’s skills from the classroom could only help her in the future.

“I think it is great that Virginia will always have a degree to fall back on,” Chambers said. “The skills Virginia has learned during her career at Texas Tech will help her greatly. She knows how an interview works and understands communication.”

As for what is next for Stille, she said she wants to focus on her music career. Once her schedule dials back, Stille hopes to give the fans a little gift for supporting her.

“Since the show aired, my social media has been blowing up.” Stille said. “I have also been pretty busy doing radio interviews and television appearances around Houston. For the future, I’m looking to record some original material and get my music out to the public.”

(Preston Redden graduated in 2015 with a Master of Arts degree in Mass Communications and in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.)