Meet the Latinas competing in the 71st Miss Universe

Nayelhi González, Miss Ecuador, is 28 years old and is originally from Esmeraldas, a wonderful city full of tradition and history. She is the firstborn of a home full of love and joy. As she grew, so did her passion and talent for singing. She and her grandmother enjoyed singing all kinds of songs. Thanks to her family, she became fond of painting and developed a love for animals and sports. Her sense of empathy and humanism inspired her to become a nurse. She was called to the world of modeling where she shone in the main cities of Ecuador. She does social work all year round, with special attention to young children in the province of Esmeraldas with her project called Juventud Diamante, in collaboration with the Germinar Foundation.

Irma Cristina Miranda Valenzuela, Miss Mexico, 26, works with a non-profit organization called La Comuna and collaborates with the National Institute of Migration in Mexico. Valenzuela has been passionate about folkloric dance since 2011 and is a great fan of sports. She has been practicing tennis for five years, a sport that is challenging for her and allows her to escape from her comfort zone. She admires Serena Williams for her strength to push the limits and become the greatest player that ever lived.

Ashley Cariño, Miss Puerto Rico, is 28 years old and dreams of becoming the first Miss Universe to travel to space. She is completing a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida with the hope of specializing in the field of rocket propulsion. Her ultimate goal is to work for NASA, which has been a childhood dream. As the eldest of five siblings, three of whom are girls, Cariño knows the impact models have on today’s younger generation. For this reason, she has dedicated the last five years to working with children and adolescents with mental health diagnoses to enhance their curiosity and creativity.

Alessia Rovegno, Miss Perú, is 24 years old and comes from a family of strong and independent women. Her mother’s side is full of artists and artists, while she received her business knowledge from her father. She was taught to seek financial independence from day one, and at the age of 18, she achieved the mainstay of her life goals which is financial success. She is part of many nonprofit organizations, including Bridges, Help Peru, and the Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Campaign. Rovegno is a proud businesswoman and co-owner of her family’s bakery. She has also followed her passion for music by founding a musical duo with her sister and performing throughout Peru.

Lia Ashmore, Miss Paraguay, is passionate about living life to the fullest. For her, that means enjoying nature, art in all its expressions, and health. For the last five years, she has worked in marketing and graphic design. She works closely with various organizations to carry a message of hope, acceptance, and empathy. Ashmore, 28, is dedicated to helping others develop a sense of identity after experiencing rejection and discrimination in her childhood that led her to contemplate suicide. She believes that one person can make a difference and gives talks on self-acceptance to end body shaming.

Carla Romero, Miss Uruguay, is 25 years old and has a degree in Business Administration. She has worked in multinational companies since she was 18 years old. Romero works on a social project on mental health focused on helping other people with anxiety and depression disorders based on her own experience.

Solaris Barba, Miss Panama, 23 years old, is a psychology student with a passion for dance and fine arts. In her work, she works as a television presenter for a program that celebrates Panamanian traditions and customs. In addition to this, she works hand in hand with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a global non-profit NGO that funds and provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 1,650,00 people in various countries in the fight against AIDS.

Norma Huembes, Miss Nicaragua, is 24 years old. She grew up in a family of businessmen who help Nicaraguan companies grow. This led her to become a public accountant and auditor providing free financial advice to business owners. At the age of 19, she created a cost accounting system for poultry farms as a volunteer. In addition, she helps many schools fight against bullying and child abuse, which she considers a huge problem that affects a large part of the world’s population.

Rebeca Rodríguez, Miss Honduras, is 20 years old and is an independent woman who works as a model to finance her university education. She is currently pursuing a double major in international business and digital marketing from Atlantis University in Miami. Rodríguez is an ambassador for several international brands. She has always been very aware of the needs of others and that is why she has joined several non-profit organizations.

Ivana Batchelor, Miss Guatemala, is 22 years old and is a third-year communications student. She is passionate about the importance of mental health and works with youth in many public schools to help prevent suicide in her country. Having battled depression and suicidal thoughts herself, she sees a great need for public figures to speak out about these issues.

Alejandra Guajardo Sada, Miss El Salvador, is 26 years old and has a degree in International Business. At 18, her home overcame adversity when her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As the eldest in the family, Sada knew that she had to be mentally and emotionally unbreakable. Together with her father, she started a CBD oil business, and today, they still support low-income families suffering from similar health conditions. Having visited 40 countries, Alejandra has developed a great appreciation for different cultures, making friends, exploring new adventures, and loving the environment. As a result of all these experiences, Sada now works with local organizations to further educate people about the importance of food safety, security, and sustainability.

Andreína Martínez, Miss Dominican Republic, 25 years old, has dual Dominican and US citizenship. At the age of 13 and unable to speak a word of English, Martínez moved from a rural area of the Dominican Republic to the Bronx, in New York City. Martinez is the winner of Google’s Pay it Forward award for her dedication to her community, and she earned a BA in Psychology from the City College of New York. Before graduating Magna Cum Laude, she landed a coveted position as an intern on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, working in the office of Senator Kristen Gillibrand. It was there that she discovered her passion for preserving women’s rights and became an advocate for public policy that advances women. Her struggle as an immigrant to her ignited a fire in her to protect systematically marginalized communities. She currently works at The Women’s Equality Center, a non-profit organization run solely by women that aim to protect the rights of women in Latin America and the Caribbean. Martinez’s ultimate goal is to become the first female ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations.

María Fernanda Aristizabál, Miss Colombia, is 25 years old and works as a motivational speaker, model, and influencer, with a degree in media and journalism. Through her #MakeEveryMomentWorthIt campaign, she shares her philosophy of life by supporting vulnerable communities in Colombia. She is passionate about making a positive impact on children’s mental health. Aristizábal also works with several non-profit organizations, including Smile Train and Best Buddies.

María Fernanda Rodriguez Ávila, Miss Costa Rica, is 25 years old and is a civil engineer with a passion for languages. She recently graduated in Portuguese, her third language, and continues her studies with Costa Rican sign language, since the inclusion of non-verbal languages is important to her.

She is a sports enthusiast and practices mixed martial arts, ballet, and swimming. She dedicates her time to making an impact on young people, especially working with the Mariano Juvenil Association as a member of the board of directors.

She is also an active member of the International Lions Club of Costa Rica and The Clean Wave. Her desire is to change the world so she founded her own non-profit organization, Unbreakable Dreams, with the mission of supporting the dreams of young people who are the future of the world.

Sofía Depassier, Miss Chile, is 24 years old. She was born and raised in Chile, where she lived until she was 10 years old. After her parent’s divorce, she moved to the United States with her mother. According to her Miss Universe biography, she and her family suffered discrimination, bullying, and racism as a result of not knowing English and having cultural differences. As a result, she felt compelled to collaborate with other immigrants seeking a better quality of life. Driven by this passion, she created the Universo sin Fronteras project, whose focus is to provide the necessary tools for children and young people who need guidance after moving to a new country. To be a leader for young women around the world, she founded and manages the social network @womenalert, whose goal is to improve visibility and education on issues that affect women.

María Camila Sanabria Pereyra, Miss Bolivia, is 28 years old. She comes from a very united and simple family, who instilled in her solid values and principles to guide her life. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in marketing and business management. Pereyra believes in the value of education and the right to learn. Pereyra is also an art lover, who captures her feelings in painting. According to her Miss Universe profile, she describes herself as a warm-hearted woman who has visited homes and helped many children and women in her town. She has a nephew with autism, so she decided to help children with this condition.

Bárbara Cabrera, Miss Argentina, is 27 years old and passionate about fashion. She is not only a professional model but also the owner and creative director of her own women’s clothing brand in Argentina, BÁRBARA CABRERA Buenos Aires. Her goal is to expand her brand to more countries in Latin America and, in the future, the world. According to her profile on the official Miss Universe website, Cabrera collaborates with the Margarita Barrientos Foundation, an organization that provides meals to people in difficult situations.