Team North America for Miss Universe 2020

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Helen Hernandez Miss Universe Aruba 2020

Helen Hernandez was crowned Miss Universe Aruba 2020 on 9th December 2020 and will represent Aruba at Miss Universe 2020. She succeeds Miss Universe Aruba 2019 Danna Garci´a for the title. Helen is a 20-years-old economics and administration student from Noord. She comes across as a confident girl with poise and grace. She speaks in a dialect called Papiamento which is a mix of Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, and English. Helen believes in taking responsibility which is about seeing oneself not as right or wrong but as an agent, chooser, problem solver, and learner in the complex interrelationships of one’s lives. The stunning beauty, through her social media, also takes up issues and advocates about them for better learning of people. Helena leads a project called “Canto di Alegria Den Bario” which aims to bring peace, love and joy to our minds through music. She wants to empower women to never give up on their dreams and equip them with leadership and entrepreneurial skills, for women to become independent.

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Shauntae Miller Miss Universe Bahamas 2020

Shauntae Miller was appointed as Miss Universe Bahamas 2020 and will represent Bahamas in Miss Universe 2020. She succeeds Miss Universe Bahamas 2019 Tarea Sturrup. The 27-year-old stunning beauty is a graduate in clinical counseling in mental health. Shauntee is not new to the pageant world as she participated in Miss Universe Bahamas 2018 and was adjudged the first finalist at the end of the event finale. She went on to participate in Miss Intercontinental 2018 and represent her country with pride. A bold, unique, and unapologetically in control woman, Shauntae-Ashleigh Miller is rooted in identity and empowerment. She comes from an athletic family and started an athletics club which promotes health, fitness and friendly competition for kids. She understands the importance of sacrifice, focus and determination and wishes to advocate the same through her participation.

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Hillary Ann Williams Miss Universe Barbados 2020

Hillary Ann Williams was announced as Miss Universe Barbados 2020 and will represent the home country at Miss Universe 2020 stage. The news was officially announced on 14th November 2020 during the premiere of the “The Making of a Queen”. Hillary Ann Williams became the new Miss Universe Barbados as Shanel Marie Ifill relinquished her Miss Universe Barbados 2019 title. Hillary is 25-years-old entrepreneur who owns her own Digital Marketing agency. She wants to use her platform to advocate for young people, especially young women who have experienced gender-based violence. She strongly believes that no child should be denied the chance to reach their full potential because of their gender, where they were born, or the circumstances they were born into. She strongly believes i listening to one’s heart and following one’s passions, no matter what challenges lie ahead.

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Iris Salguero Miss Universe Belize 2020

Iris Salguero was crowned Miss Universe Belize 2020 during a press conference held on 9th January 2020. She succeeded Miss Universe Belize 2019 Destinee Dominique Arnold for the title and will represent the country at Miss Universe 2020. Hailing from San Pedro, Iris is 24-years-old and plans to obtain her bachelor’s degree in digital marketing and will eventually open a trade school in her community called “Brighter Future”. Iris is not new to the world of beauty pageants as she has proudly represented Belize at three international pageants including Miss World 2016, Miss America Latina del Mundo 2018, and Miss Earth 2017. She is strong, confident, and focused towards winning the title for the country and is preparing herself for the competition. Iris is working as a brand ambassador and model for local businesses owned by female entrepreneurs. Her mission is to empower the young women in Belize to overcome hardship and accomplish their dreams. For two years, she was part of S.H.I.N.E, an organization dedicated to building healthy self-esteem for girls ages 12-18. As a survivor of an abusive relationship, she is fighting to end violence against women and to be a voice for those who suffer in silence. This “Island girl” is passionate about the environment and has participated in several clean up campaigns to spread awareness on the importance of protecting the natural resources in her country.

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Shabree Frett Miss Universe British Virgin Islands 2020

Shabree Frett was crowned Miss Universe British Virgin Islands 2020 on 13th December 2020 in a private sashing ceremony. She succeeds Miss Universe British Virgin Islands 2019 Bria Smith. The 24-year-old stunning beauty has already been rewarded for her potentials. She won awards for Miss Photogenic, Best Eveningwear and Best Swimwear at the 2019 edition. Shabree attended Alabama A&M University and was crowned Miss Black & Bold 2018. Shabree advocates for ‘Self Love’. For a long time, she has struggled with loving herself and she wants to help others find purpose through her platform ‘B3’ which stands for Becoming, Believing and Bettering You aims to improve one’s self love, confidence and incorporate good self-care habits.

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Nova Stevens Miss Universe Canada 2020

Nova Stevens was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2020 on 24th October 2020 and will now represent Canada in Miss Universe Canada 2020. She succeeds Miss Universe Canada 2019 Alyssa Boston for the crown. Hailing from Vancouver, Nova is a 27-years-old dynamic, resilient and persistent beauty and believes in the power of faith in being able to change your circumstances. Her family fled a brutal civil war in South Sudan and was sent alone to Canada at age 6 to be able to have a better life. She wishes to use her chance at a new life in Canada as a driving factor to be reunited with her parents one day. For her advocacy, Nova promotes ‘Feed it forward’, a Canadian not-for-profit with two main goals: to feed Canadians that are food insecure and to reduce food waste. Its mission is to make a difference in the lives of fellow Canadians who need assistance with securing nutritious food and regular balanced meals. She has recently been active in carrying out humanitarian activities that focus on the physical and mental balance of children.

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Mariah Tibbetts Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2020

Mariah Tibbetts was designated as Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2020 and will be representing Cayman Islands at Miss Universe 2020 stage. She succeeds Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2019 Kadejah Bodden. Mariah is 26-years-old and a certified public accountant from Bodden Town. She is not new to the pageantry as she was adjudged as the first runner-up at Miss Teen Cayman Islands 2011 and later at Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2019, she was again adjudged as the first runner-up. The diva wants to raise awareness and help people normalize the stigma around mental health especially in the town where she resides and with a platform given to her by Miss Universe Cayman Islands, she believes that she can reach out to a bigger and wider audience. She has been associated with a foundation in Cayman Islands where the team and the diva herself are working tirelessly to make the talks about mental illness normal and not something that could be shut down. They want to create a safe space for the people so that they know where to go or come to when they feel that something is not right.

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Ivonne Cerdas Cascante Miss Universe Costa Rica 2020

Ivonne Cerdas Cascante was crowned Miss Universe Costa Rica 2020 and earned the opportunity to represent Costa Rica at Miss Universe 2020 stage. The diva succeeds Miss Costa Rica 2019 Paola Chacón for the title. Ivonne is a 28-years-old software engineer who graduated from Universidad Tecnica Nacional in Barrio Lourdes, Alajuela Province. The diva is not new to the pageantry as this was the third time, she had participated at Miss Costa Rica. She was adjudged as the first runner-up at Miss Costa Rica 2012 and second runner-up at Miss Costa Rica 2015 competition. Ivonne believes that everyone at the competition are strong and empowered and have taught her something she would always cherish. She would like to use the platform to advocate about women empowerment as she believes that only we know the courage it takes to expose ourselves in this way, and the dedication it takes to prepare for this day.

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Chantal Wiertz Miss Universe Curacao 2020

Chantal Wiertz was appointed as Miss Universe Curaçao 2020. Miss Universe Organization advised the national franchises to designate their first runner-up of the previous year’s edition for representing their respective countries at the 69th edition of Miss Universe. Chantal was the first runner-up at the Miss Universe Curacao 2019. Chantal is 22-years-old and has worked with various designers and brands in Curacao to gain experience as well as knowledge about being a beauty pageant queen. The diva is a fitness enthusiast and maintains her body healthy and fit for her modelling projects and beauty pageants. She loves to work out in the gym and practice yoga to stay fit and advocates about the same to her followers and fans on her social media too. She believes that she has a purpose in life and with purpose comes immense responsibility and she is ready to take on the responsibility of representing her country at Miss Universe 2020 stage.

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Kimberly Jimenez Rodriguez Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2020

Kimberly Jimenez Rodriguez was appointed as Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2020 and will be representing the country at the Miss Universe 2020 stage. She succeeds Clauvid Daly Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2019. Kimberly is 24-years-old and works as a model and actress; is the daughter of a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother. The diva has not only had the chance to be a part of Dominican Republic but also Puerto Rico beauty pageants. She was adjudged as the second runner up at Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2017 at the end of the event finale. She later represented the province of La Romana in the Miss Dominican Republic Universe 2019 where she was adjudged as the first runner-up. Kimberly is an ambassador of ‘Ninos De Cristo’ Orphanage foundation where she shows the universe what it means to be a strong and empowered woman. She is helping girls be happier and be inspired to achieve their dreams. She teaches them that identity is the main and most valuable heritage of life.

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Vanessa Velasquez Miss Universe El Salvador 2020

Vanessa Velasquez was crowned Miss Universe El Salvador 2020. She succeeds Miss Universe El Salvador 2019 Zuleika Soler Aragon and will now represent her country at Miss Universe 2020. The 24-year-old beauty speaks Spanish and English. The San Salvador native has been modelling since she was 11 years old. She recently earned her bachelor’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Escuela de Comunicación Mónica Herrera in Santa Tecla, El Salvador. Vanessa founded a social project called ‘Angel Hand by Vane’ which helps the neediest all throughout El Salvador. She is also a part of Smile Train, an organization with a goal to give every child with a cleft palate the opportunity to lead a healthy productive life without barriers.

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Eden Berandoive Miss Universe Haiti 2020

Eden Berandoive was crowned Miss Universe Haiti 2020 and will represent the country at Miss Universe 2020. She succeeded Miss Haiti 2019 Gabriela Clesca Vallejo for the title. Hailing from Aquin, Eden is 24 years old and has a degree in social communication and aspired to be able to raise her voice for the problems that her community deals with and would try to find a solution in order to make their lives easy and improved. Eden is not new when it comes to beauty contests, as she comes from representing her nation in the Miss Panamerican 2019, where she was part of the Top 8. The diva strongly feels that we should not let the society define us in any way and should take in charge of one’s own life and dreams with utmost confidence and determination and there will be no limits on what you can do or be. She also wants to spread out positivity, happiness, and hope and she had once mentioned, “Stop saying these negative things about yourself. Look in the mirror and find something about yourself that's positive and celebrate that!”

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Cecilia Rossell Miss Universe Honduras 2020

Cecilia Rossell was appointed as Miss Universe Honduras 2020 ad will represent Honduras at Miss Universe 2020 stage. The diva succeeds Miss Universe Honduras 2019 Rosemary Arauz for the title. Cecilia is a 25-years-old strong, confident woman and studied Communication and Advertising from the University of San Pedro Sula USAP. She was also crowned Miss Supranational Honduras 2017 but later the organization withdrew their participation from the competition. She was also the part of Miss Universe Honduras 2019 where she was adjudged as the third runner-up. Cecilia advocates for cancer awareness. At an early age, she lost her mother to stomach cancer. Ever since then, she has been working to make cancer awareness a top priority in Honduras. She is very passionate about using the platform to make a good and positive impact on the society.

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Miqueal Symone Williams Miss Universe Jamaica 2020

Miqueal Symone Williams was crowned Miss Universe Jamaica 2020 on 12th December 2020 and streamed exclusively on FLOW 1 TV. She succeeds Miss Universe Jamaica 2019 Iana Tickle Garcia. Born in Mona, Miqueal is 23-years-old and finished her secondary and university education in Jamaica. She graduated from the University of the West Indies-Mona in Kingston. She got a BSc-degree in Management Studies and a minor in psychology. Her advocacy is focused on children and psychological trauma which she herself went through as a result of the death of her parents. She wants to bring more awareness to this. She believes that if we give children a positive and safe environment in which to grow, they will be better adults.

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Andrea Meza Miss Universe Mexico 2020

Andrea Meza was crowned Miss Universe Mexico 2020 on 29th November 2020 at Hotel Misión Grand Juriquilla Santiago de Querétaro. She succeeds Miss Universe Mexico 2019 Sofia Montserrat Aragon Torres for the title. Andrea Meza is 26-years-old and has studied Software Engineering at the Autonomous University of Chihuahua. She represented Mexico at Miss World 2017 and was adjudged as first runner-up and was crowned as Miss World Americas 2017 at the end of the event finale. Andrea firmly believes in the empowerment of women, which is why she excelled at various academic, human, and professional levels. She wants to use the platform to empower women and work for the society as she feels deeply for the people in her community.

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Ana Marcelo Miss Universe Nicaragua 2020

Ana Marcelo was crowned Miss Universe Nicaragua 2020 on 8th August 2020 and will now represent Nicaragua at Miss Universe 2020. She succeeds Miss Universe Nicaragua 2019 Inés López Sevilla. The event was broadcasted live on VOS TV at 7 PM. This 24-years-old diva is a graduate with a degree in Agro-industrial engineering from the University of Engineering, UNI-North Esteli. Ana is not new to the pageantry as won the title of Miss Teen America 2015 at the age of 19. Ana advocates for women empowerment. Together with Keiser University she organized a leadership forum inviting 13 of her fellow Miss Universe Sisters in order to tell their stories on how they turned their disabilities, as women in today’s society, into strengths and inspire young girls to gain leadership skills and become empowered women.

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Carmen Isabel Jaramillo Miss Universe Panama 2020

Carmen Isabel Jaramillo was appointed as Miss Universe Panama 2020 and will now be representing Panama in Miss Universe 2020. The decision to appoint her was made through the succession law for Miss Universe 2020 to the first runner-up of the 2019 edition. She succeeded Miss Universe Panama 2019 Mehr Eliezer. Hailing from the La Chorrera city in Western Panama province, Carmen is a 26-years-old Panamanian model who is a pageant veteran. Her pageant career began in 2014 as she participated in Senorita Panama 2014 where she represented Panamá Oeste and won the ‘Miss Panamá Latinoamerica del Mundo’ title. Unfortunately, she resigned three days after the pageant. In 2015, Carmen was crowned Miss Earth Panama 2015 and as a part of her training she represented Panama in Reina Hispanoamericana 2015 as well. She placed in the Top 9 at the end of the event finale. Carmel is very involved in social and charitable activities. She is the founder of an initiative called ‘Connect Your Power’, under which she collects basic necessities for people affected by the coronavirus pandemic and supports micro-entrepreneurs. She also cooperates with national organizations dealing with free HV detection and prevention.

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Estefania Soto Torres Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2020

Estefania Soto Torres, who was adjudged as the first runner-up at Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2019, was crowned Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2020 on 24th September 2020. She succeeded Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2019 Madison Anderson Berrios. Hailing from Caguas, Estefania is 27-years-old and has obtained her bachelor degree in foreign languages with a concentration in French from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras. Between 2015 and 2017, she lived and studied in France, Belgium, and Mexico; plus, she completed an interdisciplinary Master’s degree in intercultural mediation with a sociological, anthropological and gender perspective. Estefania spoke about a recent forum she watched and shared that in that forum or group discussion, the different candidates of Miss Universe 2020 shared intimate stories that defended the ‘ideal’ Miss Universe. The discussion included themes like bullying, self-acceptance, self-respect, body shaming, harassment, sensibility and how being sensitivity is not a sign of weakness but strength. The main theme was leadership and being a Miss Universe candidate herself, the diva spoke highly for the divas that were a part of the discussion as they included every single factor that needed the attention.

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Asya Danielle Branch Miss Universe United States of America 2020

Asya Danielle Branch was crowned Miss Universe United States of America 2020 and earned the opportunity to represent USA at Miss Universe 2020. She succeeded Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst. Asya made history as she became the first African American woman to be crowned Miss Mississippi in 2018 but her list of accomplishments only increased as she became the first Mississippian to win Miss USA 2020. Hailing from Booneville, Asya is 22 years old who attended Harvard University for summer school at the age of 17 and this experience transformed her life and allowed her to grow exponentially as an individual. After Asya was crowned Miss USA, the conversation quickly shifted from her historic win to backlash surrounding her connections to President Donald Trump. In 2018, Branch had attended a criminal justice reform roundtable meeting with President Trump. Since then, she has faced criticism for her political beliefs and her upbringing. Asya now wishes to educate others about with her new platform which is centred on the criminal justice system. Her focus has always been on the lives of the inmates and their relationships with their families because so often children are abandoned by their parents when they are incarcerated. Asya is also an entrepreneur who is a proud owner of a cosmetic line named ‘Branch Beauty’.