Nicaragua’s First Miss Universe

Para español oprima aquí >>Nicaragua tiene Miss Universo

By AnaMaria Bech

Sheynnis Palacios was crowned Miss Universe on November 18. The Nicaraguan community worldwide showed great happiness for that victory, and the community of Louisiana was no exception. To pay tribute to the vibrant community in the region, we wanted to highlight their beautiful Nicaraguan on the cover.

^{Miss Nicaragua, Sheynnis Palacios is Crowned as Miss Universe 2023. Photo Credit: Benjamin Askinas}

For the first time, Central America has a Miss Universe. Her physical beauty is undeniable and represents the prototype of the Latin woman, with tanned skin, dark hair, and brown eyes. But beyond her looks and style, Palacios vibrant personality adds to her beauty. She constantly shows her appreciation of her humble origins and displays the values ​​instilled at home.
During interviews, she talks about having grown up in a humble home and feeling proud of achieving her professional education.

Thanks to her efforts, she qualified for scholarships. With her mother’s support and hard work of her own, she became a obtains her degree in Communications. Palacios recognizes God as the driving force of her life; that’s why we saw her pointing to the sky in gratitude at the moment of her coronation.

With the changes in the Miss Universe organization, which now evaluates candidates on a comprehensive performance, Palacios obtained an essential advantage with her social initiative. Miss Universe recognized this effort as noted on its website, “Coming from a country where this issue is rarely addressed, she started an accessible initiative called ‘Understand Your Mind,’ an effort to raise awareness in the community about the importance of mental health.” This initiative continues to be one of her main objectives as the new sovereign.

As for her visit to New Orleans before the pageant, Palacios felt at home. “They have welcomed me with a lot of love, affection, and empathy; they have made me feel very comfortable with that human warmth, not only from Nicaraguans but also from all Latin Americans.”

^{Sheynnis Palacios official portrait as Miss Universe 2023. Photo Credit: Benjamin Askinas}

Palacios assured us that it will not be the last time she visits the city of New Orleans, and we hope she will do so during an official visit as Miss Universe soon.