The night of 18th November 2023 will be jotted down in the history books and Nicaraguan hearts as Sheynnis Palacios won the Miss Universe 2023 crown for her country. The finals were held at the José Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador where Miss Universe 2022 Rbonney Gabriel crowned her as the new queen.
Sheynnis stunned in a silver gown with a blue cape, an ode to her country’s flag. The 23-year-old stunner victory was an epitome of breakthrough and celebration of diversity. Although in Spanish, Palacios was able to address critical issues, from climate change to gender equality, understanding the commitment to social change.
A role model for women all over the world, Palacios will now use her platform to advocate the causes close to her heart. The main cause this year will be mental health, which stems from her own experiences with anxiety. In her 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. Running a newsroom is surely a dream of hers to achieve.
During the Q/A segment, Sheynnis was asked, “If you could live one year in another woman's shoes, who would you choose and why?” Sheynnis chose Mary Wollstonecraft as her role model, and said, “I would choose Mary Wollstonecraft because she opened the gap and gave an opportunity to many women. I would want that gap to open up so that more women could work in any area they choose to work in because there is no area where women could not work in.”
Born in 2000, Sheynnis Palacios holds a degree in mass communication. The newly crowned Miss Universe is also an avid sports lover, as she played varsity volleyball for her university. Palacios entered the pageantry in 2016 and won the title of Miss Teen Nicaragua 2016. She went on to win Miss World Nicaragua 2020 and represented Nicaragua at the Miss World 2021 where she reached Top 40.
Sheynnis Palacios has created history and etched her name in millions of hearts as the first Miss Universe from her country.