Congrats! Sheynnis Palacios was crowned Miss Universe 2023 on Saturday, November 18, making her the first woman from Nicaragua to earn the coveted title.
The 23-year-old triumphed over 83 other candidates during the 72nd annual beauty pageant, which took place in San Salvador, El Salvador. Miss Thailand Anntonia Porsild was crowned runner-up.
Learn all about the next Miss Universe below!
She Loves Her Home Country
Sheynnis hails from Managua, Nicaragua, and she frequently shares photos and videos via Instagram that show her connecting with people around the country. Hours before the pageant finals, she penned a heartfelt message to the place that has lifted her up over the years.
“My beautiful homeland, thank you for allowing me to be an ambassador of your culture, of your landscapes, of our identity and colonial beauty,” she wrote via Instagram. “My Nicaragua, [it] will be an honor to scream one more night your name and prove to the universe that the homeland may be small but we are full of big dreams.”
She’s a TV Host
On February 6, Sheynnis gushed that she was “happy and grateful” to take on the role as morning host of Al Dia, calling her new gig a “gift from heaven.”
“I was commenting today that if I got to talk to little 5-year-old Sheynnis I wouldn’t believe that in the not too distant future I would be working with big screen characters,” she explained via Instagram. “Great characters I watched every morning and they were role models for me.”
She’s a Mental Health Advocate
“Her cause this year will be mental health, which stems from her own experiences with anxiety,” reads Sheynnis’ Miss Universe bio. “Coming from a country where this issue is rarely addressed, she started an accessible initiative called ‘Understand Your Mind,’ in which she interviews a specialist on emotional care in her television segments. She has also produced events and other audiovisual projects on this theme. Her goal in life is to work in the service of humanity, by running a newsroom and producing content and commercials for international brands.”
She’s a College Graduate
The model graduated with a degree in mass communications from the Universidad Centroamericana in May 2022.
She’s a Dog Mom
She loves her pups! She shared photos of Bruce and Baloo attending their “first doggy birthday” party in February.
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