13 things about Miss Universe Ifugao 2025 Valerie West

Valerie Claire Pawid West is based in New York, United States. She was born to her American father Ed West and Filipino mother Dorie Pawid West, who is from Kiangan, Ifugao, Philippines.

Valerie is the first ever Miss Universe Philippines candidate to represent Ifugao. She is an alumna of Maple Newtown High School in Newtown Square, Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA and the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, USA.

BIOGRAPHY

Valerie is an American-Filipino published musculoskeletal researcher, certified emergency medical technician, singer, martial artist and beauty queen. Before moving to New York, she lived in different parts of Pennsylvania including Broomall, Marple Township, Delaware County; Scranton, Lackawanna County; Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County and York County.

In Valerie’s first ever beauty pageant, which was a National American Miss competition, she competed against 149 other candidates and finished in the Top 15. Here are 13 more things about her:

1. In 2009, she joined a singing competition called Delco Idol Jr. 
2. She is Miss York County’s Outstanding Teen 2017.
3. She was a Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen 2017 finalist.
4. She is Miss Luzerne County’s Outstanding Teen 2018.
5. She was a Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen 2018 finalist.
6. From August 2018 to July 2019, she was the head of marketing at the Philadelphia Martial Arts Hall of Fame in Upper Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
7. She is Miss Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Outstanding Teen 2019.
8. She was Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen 2019 first runner-up.
9. In 2019, she was a “The Clash” Season 2 contestant.
10. From 2020 to 2024, she attended the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, USA where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering.
11. She was crowned Miss Reina Filipina North America 2025 before becoming Miss Universe Ifugao 2025.
12. On March 16, 2025, she turned 23.
13. She was a Miss Universe Philippines 2025 semifinalist.

TIMELINE

West is 5’4″ tall. Apart from being passionate about medicine, she is also into singing, dancing and competitive martial arts. 

2016

• In March 2016, she trained with the Kidz Bop as the children’s music group ‘s understudy for its national Life of the Party Tour, performing and rehearsing around the U.S.
• On June 1, 2016, her father accompanied her to Virginia, USA where she rehearsed and performed with Kidz Bop.

2017

• On January 18, 2017, she competed against four other Miss York County’s Outstanding Teen 2017 candidates at the York County School of Technology in York, York County and won the title.
• In June 2017, she represented York County at Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen 2017 and finished in the Top 5.

2018

• In June 2018, she represented Luzerne County at Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen 2018 and finished in the Top 5.
• On November 26, 2018, she was crowned Miss Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Outstanding Teen 2019.

2019

• On June 14, 2019, she represented Wilkes-Barre and Scranton at Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen 2019. She was runner-up to Riley Evans.
• She was one of the 64 singers who competed in “The Clash” Season 2, which aired on GMA Network from September 21, 2019 to December 15, 2019. She finished in the Top 32.

2020

• In March 2020, she was the intermediate overall champion in the East Coast Sports Karate League.
• In May 2020, she graduated from Marple Newtown High School.

2021

• In March 2021, she was named Young Achiever of the Year by the Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League (PACCAL), a non-profit organization in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.

2022

• She was chosen as one of the 13 pre-health undergraduates from the University of Delaware to study at the Cattinara Hospital in Trieste, Italy in January 2022.
• In February 2022, she joined the Parreno Laboratory of the University of Delaware as an undergraduate student researcher.
• In May 2022, she became the vice president of the Filipino Student Association at the University of Delaware.

2023

• On August 6, 2023, she performed alongside Nyoy Volante in his concert in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

2024

• On May 25, 2024, she graduated from the University of Delaware.

2025

• On January 25, 2025, she was crowned Reina Filipina North America 2025.
• On May 2, 2025, she represented Ifugao and the Filipino community of New York at Miss Universe Philippines 2025 and competed against 65 other candidates at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines. She finished in the Top 24.