MANILA, Philippines - Charles Darwin didn’t suggest that only the best or the strongest survive. Hence, modern evolutionists suggested “survival of the fittest” be changed into a more accurate phrase, “survival of the fit enough.” The first Face of Allure for 2012 embodies this perfected definition.
Five-ft.-5-in.-tall Stefany Marisa Prescott, or Pipay, was discovered in GMA’s StarStruck in 2007, where she got eliminated from the Danger 8 (top eight contestants) despite her competitive attitude, talent and her being the crowd’s favorite. She started commercial modeling when she was 13 years old and has appeared in SkinWhite, Head and Shoulders, Kitkat and other advertisements. At 15, she started acting.
Besides joining StarStruck and Survivor, Fil-Am Stef tells that moving to the Philippines was the greatest turning point of her life as she was already accustomed to her early life in Redmond and Seattle, Washington. Playing softball and going camping — this only child of Marisa Quintos and Julian Paul Prescott, a retired painting consultant, remembers her childhood to be very simple and peaceful. “Softball was something I was good at; it was all I wanted to do,” says Stef, who also reveals that she wanted to be a professional softball player and play for the University of Washington.
Despite being an unica hija, she proudly expresses that she is a good daughter and was never a pain. Her parents taught her to be practical, independent and selfless. Most importantly, they inculcated in her the importance of a family. She laments that although she gets to do what she loves in show business, it eats up her time with her family and friends.
We asked her about her role models besides her parents and she mentioned two heroes: Nick Vujicic, an inspirational speaker from Australia who was born limbless and legless (see Vujicic’s Something More music video in YouTube) and Martin Luther King Jr., “for teaching us what courage and dreams really are,” Stef says. “Never stop fighting for something you believe in. If it’s worth having, it’s worth fighting for,” she continues.
She has survived five years in the showbiz arena and the stint has molded a stunning fighter in Stef. She recounts that she remarkably learned so much from StarStruck and especially from Survivor, that she considers her fighting spirit, and not any tangible award, as her greatest achievement so far.
“In five to 10 years, I’ll still be the same Stef, just a lot wiser and stronger,” she exclaims. With a 36-27-36 physique, wits and cunning looks, our woman warrior shares her challenging truism: “Never give up on your dreams. When people say you can’t, you tell them ‘watch me’.”
Photography by MAU AGUASIN • Styling by REG RODRIGUEZ • Makeup by RIA AQUINO • Hairstyling by AVRIL SEGUIN • Clothes by MORLIE • Shot on location at DUSIT THANI HOTEL