Wendy Esparza was born in Evanston, Illinois and has lived between the U.S and Mexico most of her life allowing her to experience a cultural duality. She attended Loyola University in Chicago with a full-ride scholarship and earned a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in Latin American Literature. Throughout college she studied abroad in Rome and had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala and Mexico on mission trips. Her dream is to work in broadcast news and was working at a local news station in Aguascalientes when she decided to enter pageantry. She learned to walk in heels at the age of 22 and has enjoyed the challenges and adventures as Miss Universe Mexico.

Maja Čukić is 20 years old and is from Montenegro. She is currently in her second year at the College of Tourism in Podgorica. Maja would like the opportunity to improve tourism in Montenegro through her career and ambitions. She describes herself as a very simple person, and says that she feels the best while spending quality time with her family and friends. To Maja, being simple does not mean she is not ambitious. She has worked as a model for the past six years in America and Italy. Maja loves horses. She spends the majority of her spare time riding horses and working out. Maja is not a fan of politics and believes she will be more interested once she has power to change things.

May Thaw was very ill throughout her childhood. This caused her to constantly miss school and lead her to have very few friends. May had little confidence and was afraid to meet new people. She was afraid of doing anything due to her constant fear of failing. May decided to compete in a local beauty pageant and she came in second place. May was motivated and inspired by other pageant winners competing in the pageant circuit.

Jessie Jazz Vuijk is a Dutch girl living in Amsterdam, where she is studying event management. In her spare time Jessie loves to bike, DJ and travel. Jessie considers herself very open minded, positive and funny.

Samantha McClung believes some of the most influential events happen earliest in life and shape you. Samantha has lived on several farms and has attended seven different schools. When she was 8, she moved to the Marlborough Sounds, where she grew up fishing, building huts, swimming with dolphins and catching jellyfish.

After high school, Samantha received her diploma in make-up artistry at the Kristen Stewart School of Make-up, graduating with distinction. She then moved to Perth for 18 months working as a make-up artist.

Samantha now lives in Christchurch as a freelance make-up artist and works as a loan consultant for Moola. Outside of work Samantha can be found in the gym, modeling or giving someone a makeover!

Daniela Torres was born on Jan. 22, 1990 in Managua, Nicaragua. She is the youngest of four children and is known as the princess of the house. Daniela studied tourism and hospitality management at a private college in Nicaragua. Naturally curious and hyper, this beauty queen prefers to learn through experiences. Daniela loves nature, the beach and experiencing different things. She wants to be a motivational coach because she loves being useful, helping others, and considers herself to be a very caring and loving person. Her adoration for children is so big that she wants to have a few of her own. As Miss Nicaragua 2015, Daniela collaborates with, Corazon Abierto, an organization that helps children with cardiac disease.

Debbie Collins is the second daughter of four children, born in Lagos, Nigeria and partly raised in South Africa. She completed her high school education at the young age of 14 and went on to complete a degree in Business Information Systems in Pretoria, South Africa. She is an old soul who has a love for poetry, books, rainfall and the sea. She believes in love, kindness, laughter and family and thinks that a genuine smile can brighten even the darkest of days. She possesses the ability to remain positive in the face of adversity and believes that determination and strength of character are the key components of success. Her hobbies include writing, reading and yoga. She also loves to spend time with her family.

Martine Rødseth grew up in a small valley called Nord-Odal. In school, Martine was very social and made many good friends. When Martine was 13-years old, she started working at the family bakery. She got her second job at 15-years old at a fast food restaurant. All through high school she worked 4-5 days a week so she could earn money and be independent. Martine always believed that you have to work your way to the top and have high working moral. When Martine turned 18-years old, she wanted to explore the world and got a job as a tourleader. She has worked and lived in Egypt, Thailand, Bulgaria and Spain. After 4 years, she moved back to Norway where started working as a flight attendant. Martine now lives in Oslo with her sister, and works as a Concierge at The Grand Hotel in Oslo. She is also a private teacher in math and english.

Before Gladys was crowned Miss Panama, this cheerful 24-year-old was part of the entertainment world as a dancer, actress and TV host. She has five older brothers and loves being the only girl in the house. Gladys is currently studying marketing and publishing at the Universidad Latina de Panama. She is an advertising and marketing student with an emphasis in television production. Gladys is also in her second year of acting classes at a prestigious theatre. She thinks that the Miss Universe Pageant is a great platform for women pursing a career in the entertainment world.

Myriam Arevalos, was born on April 5, 1993. Since she was a child she went to school and participated in dance and sports. She finished school with honors and won a full scholarship to a university; graduating in 2014 with a degree in International Relationships. Her biggest aspiration is to become an ambassador for her country and leave a footprint on her country’s history.