Clarissa Molina is more than a former beauty queen. Molina, better known for competing in Miss Universe 2015 and winning Nuestra Belleza Latina for Dominican Republic in 2016 is also an actress, a model, and social media correspondent at Univision’s El Gordo y La Flaca and now, a theater producer. One thing Molina has never been is constrained by what people expect of her. Molina spoke to Remezcla about being a career woman, taking on new challenges, and how a partnership with McDonald’s has helped her do just that.
“I always say, be aware of who your team is, of the people around you,” Molina shared when asked about what advice she’d give young Latinas pursuing their dreams in competitive industries like entertainment. “It’s really important. Because a lot of people come with different intentions. And if you are with people that really love you, because you are a person that they care about, you’re winning.”
“Sometimes,” she added, “you’ll work with people that won’t take you on the path that you want. So, keep your family close as well. And also, discipline, of course. You have to be focused. You have to know what you want. And if you know what you want, just keep going. Just keep going until you get it.”
Molina, who told Remezcla that one of the most memorable moments of her career was “qualifying Miss Universe. You know, when they say my country, Dominican Republic, on that stage, it was unforgettable,” also spoke about how McDonald’s helped her improve her English and build confidence.
“I think McDonald’s in general, my experience helped me a lot in the sense that it …as teamwork. I work nowadays in entertainment, and without a team, you cannot do anything. It’s the same as McDonalds. You need to have a team, you need to have people in the kitchen, people running food, people taking orders and when you’re aware of that, everything is easier.”
She also shared that McDonald’s helped a lot with her English. “It’s where I practiced my English every day and now, I can speak English because of that experience. Everything has a purpose,” she told us.
And that’s part of why she wants to share her story with the world. “I didn’t see back then.” Didn’t see our communities. “And maybe now they can say, oh, let me appreciate this more. Let me put in more effort, let me be more productive. Let me be all the positive things that people can get from these stories. I think it’s important. That’s why I want to share it with everyone. Like I did this, I work here, I work there, you know. It’s not an easy path. But it’s worth it.”
Molina also shared with Remezcla her love for music. “I love reggaeton. I love baladas. I love to dance. I love to cry. I love music in general. But right now, I’m obsessed with Kapo. He’s Colombian. His voice is amazing. His music is really clean, really beautiful.”
She also caught us up on her new adventure, producing theater on Broadway for TOC TOC. “I’m really excited about producing theater. I’m about to go to New York. Not only acting, but I’m producing. It’s been an amazing experience. So, I’m going to put on the producer hat really soon.”
We can’t wait to see what other hats Clarissa Molina puts on next.
