By La’Niya Jones
The Miss Universe season has ended with USA candidate R’Bonney Gabriel winning the gold and taking home the crown.
R’Bonney Gabriel was the first ever Filipino-American Miss USA winner last year. She won it all and was crowned the 71st Miss Universe this year. She dove into the pageant scene after talking to a friend and looked up to Catriona Gray, Deshauna Barbara, and many others.
Gabriel loved the way that they communicated and connected with their audience. She took the opportunity given to her and ran with it. From that moment on, she used her voice and platform to speak about things important to her.
Gabriel is also a fashion designer, model, sewing instructor, and CEO of her own eco-friendly clothing line, R’Bonney Nola. The brand’s goal is to bring self-confidence and individuality to all its clients. In fact, Gabriel took this and her skills to heart when she designed her own swimsuit cape. She used sustainable dyes and plastic bottles, showing that things considered useless can be turned into something beautiful.
She plans to use her voice to speak out for what she believes in and uplift others along the way. A powerful message Gabriel sent to everyone was that age does not define people and that the time is now to go after what you want. Do not let anything hold you back from your dreams. Go out there and embrace yourself and the things around you.
For those who don’t know, Miss Universe is a beauty pageant that is held every year, celebrating women from many backgrounds and giving them a voice to share their stories, ideas, and passions. This is one of the most watched pageants out there, with the first show dating back to 1952.
This year’s pageant was in New Orleans, Louisiana. It gathered 84 women from around the world, all looking to be crowned Miss Universe. The pageant consisted of in-depth interviews, personal statements, talents, evening gowns, and much more.
