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Miss Universe Belize receives donation from BTB

On Tuesday, August 2nd, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) presented a $13,000 donation to the Miss Universe Belize pageant. Present to receive the donation from the Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Anthony Mahler, was the reigning Miss Universe Belize San Pedrana Iris Salguero. The pageant is on August 13th at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts in Belize City.

The pageant, which starts at 8:30PM, will see six beautiful young Belizean ladies vying for the opportunity to become the next Miss Universe Belize and represent the Jewel (Belize) in the international arena. The six lovely ladies include 19-year-old Kaira Nuñez, 27-year-old Alina Scott, 27-year-old Kenia Tejada, 22-year-old Sigourny Usher, 27-year-old Samantha Singh, and 25-year-old Ashley Lightburn. The BTB extended its best wishes to the contestants and invited Belizeans to support the pageant and the candidates. The new Miss Universe Belize will represent Belize at the 71st edition of prestigious Miss Universe pageant in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Click here to read the rest of the article in the San Pedro Sun

Who Will Be Miss Belize?

Six women will be competing on Saturday for the Miss Universe Belize crown and for a chance to represent the country on the Miss Universe stage in December. Today, they were officially sashed and introduced to the country, along with their sponsors.

And while these contestants are all very different, they have one thing in common - they all want to win.

And amidst all the training and the glam, today, they took a break to speak to the media about their reasons for wanting to join the pageant and what they hope to accomplish. Courtney Menzies has this story.

Six beautiful Belizean women, but only one crown; today the contestants of the Miss Universe Belize pageant were introduced to the country - less than a week before the big day.

And each of the young women - whether PhD candidate, farm girl, or advocate - is bringing their best Saturday night. But today, they told our cameras why they decided to join the pageant and how the process has been for them so far.

Sigourney Usher, Miss Universe Belize Candidate
"Honestly, it wasn't in my mind to run for Miss Universe Belize this year but I got the opportunity and why waste an opportunity, so I'm here and enjoying the process so let's see what God brings."

"So far, for me, I'm still studying, I'm working, and I live abroad so for me it's been tiring, it's been all over the place, a rollercoaster of emotions but I've got to pull it together and just keep going."

Kaira Nunez, Miss Universe Belize Candidate
"I decided to enter this pageant because it is something so out of my comfort zone and this will give me more resilience and make me more confident in myself."

"The process has been quite hectic however I have been managing it with my personal life and it has been quite a good balance and I think I've been doing a great job in keeping everything in tact."

Kenia Tejada, Miss Universe Candidate
"I decided to join because I needed the boost in confidence and I wanted to make more friends."

"It's been very hard and I come from a very small community and we're very religious so I don't have a lot of support but I have my set group of cousins and close family that have been behind me so they make it a bit easier but yeah, it's been a lot of hard work and stress."

Samantha Singh, Miss Universe Belize Candidate
"I decided to join the pageant because being in a position of privilege to speak about the advocacies that I'm really passionate about has always been a dream of mine."

Reporter:
"What are some of those advocacies?"

Samantha Singh, Miss Universe Belize Candidate
"It's literacy and the arts in particular. It's been really rigorous to be honest, it's been a lot of practicing and the heels every single day, it's been working out, it's been trying to make sure we stay up to date with content creation so it's been a rollercoaster but it's been really rewarding."

Ashley Lightburn, Miss Universe Belize Candidate
"I think I'm at a stage in my life now where I'll be able to represent our country well and inspire young girls and young people in general to pick up any leadership position that they might find fit and do it."

"It has been challenging so I am working, I'm a lecturer, I'm doing my Masters and I'm preparing for a pageant so I have my hands full right now and it gets a little bit overwhelming at times but I'm managing."

Alina Scott, Miss Universe Belize Candidate
"I decided to join Miss Belize this year because I wanted to give back, I have been studying for a really long time and every time I come home I am filled with joy and just overwhelmed by the creativity of Belizean artists and small businesses and I really just want to invest in them and uplift them on my platform."

"This has been a journey, balancing PhD coursework and writing my dissertation as well as learning how to walk in heels has been a learning curve for me so I'm really excited to just kind of show everyone all that we've been working on."

And a previous queen - as well as a member of the committee and the president of House of Crowns - Destiny Arnold, explained that this year, the pageants preparations are a lot different, starting from the casting calls to the what they were looking for in the contestants.

Destiny Arnold, Miss Universe Belize 2019/Committee Member
"All of the queens before the new queen that's going to be crowned on Saturday night have already laid out the foundation so we wanted to make sure that each time that we selected a new group of girls that we're raising the notch. We are talking about girls who are going from farm life to pageant life, those who are studying for their Masters and their PhD. We're definitely showing the world what Belize has to offer on a different level."

"The casting calls were on Zoom because you know we're living in a new age where we're celebrating our use of technology and all of the girls have the option of selecting who they want to train, House of Crowns is the official trainer for the Miss Universe Belize Organization and we are training 5 out of the 6 girls and we have been on Zoom, on WhatsApp video calls, group chats, just trying to lend a hand virtually and now that we're here for pageant week, we're working on them in person."

"We already heard the announcement that Miss Universe is changing up the rules next year so it's more about how to amplify being an empowered woman, being confident, showing what that looks like in your country and how you can relate to the girls internationally."

And when asked, all the contestants emphasized that they were more than ready for pageant night on Saturday and to hopefully hit the big Miss Universe Stage in December.

The Ms Universe Pageant will be held in Costa Rica in December.

Channel 7

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Miss Universe Belize Official Sashing Ceremony

Details of the Miss Universe Belize 2022 Pageant

Going into pageant week, the delegates will be engaged in a number of activities, including an official photo shoot in San Pedro on Tuesday. Earlier today, they also visited Liberty Children's Home and there will be other events on their schedules. Miss Universe Belize 2018 Jenelli Fraser, spoke to the media about that and where you can get your tickets for the pageant.

Jenelli Frazer, Member, Miss Universe Belize Committee

"Tomorrow we are having the official photo shoot in San Pedro, we have an excursion for the girls; we have a bunch of different activities, a fun-filled week of activities. And I am hoping that they enjoy this experience. Every year, we are trying to get better and better. And based on the looks on their faces, they are smiling, they seem happy and so I am convinced that on that pageant night, it's going to show that they were content and ready."

Duane Moody

"Are tickets still available?"

Jenelli Frazer

"Absolutely. Tickets are on sale today at the Bliss Institute of Performing Arts and from ten a.m. to four p.m. and the pageant show is 8:30 p.m. on Saturday."

Duane Moody

"Prices for the tickets?"

Jenelli Frazer

"The VIP is a hundred dollars, the reserve is fifty dollars and the general is twenty-five."

The pageant will be streamed live on Saturday right here on Channel Five.

Channel 5

Don't forget to tune in tomorrow night at 8:30 PM as these ladies make their debut on the Bliss stage plus exclusive content to come only on TNC10

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Discussions on their inspiration behind entering the pageant, how are they preparing for pageant night scheduled for Aug 13th


Miss Universe Belize 2022 Segment 1


Miss Universe Belize 2022 Segment 2



Hon. Andre Perez:
It was a pleasure to have met the delegates for this year's Miss Belize Universe pageant! I wish you all the best of luck!

And the winner is.... Miss Belize 2022 Ashley Lightburn! The first runner up is 27-year-old Alina Scott.






CROWNING MOMENT | Miss Universe Belize 2022 | Ashley Lightburn
Ashley Lightburn was crowned Miss Universe Belize 2022 during the national pageant, held on August 13, 2022 at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts, in Belize City, Belize

She will represent Belize at the Miss Universe 2022 pageant.

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Congratulations to our new Miss Belize 2022-2023 Miss Ashley Lightburn

Miss Universe Belize
Discussion on her success in the pageant and her plans to represent Belize on the international stage.

Ashley Lightburn, Miss Universe Belize

Ashley Lightburn is the New Miss Universe Belize

Ashley Lightburn is the new Miss Universe Belize. The twenty-five-year-old university lecturer and project manager bested five other delegates in the pageant held over the weekend at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts. The delegates competed in introduction, swimsuit, evening gown, a topic section and then a final question and a final look. In the end, the five judges selected Lightburn as the winner. News Five was able to get her reaction immediately following her crowning moment.

Ashley Lightburn, Miss Universe Belize 2022

"I am super excited. Now the work begins and I don't even have words right now because it is like so surreal, but I am excited and I am grateful for the opportunity to represent our beautiful country and all these people that are behind me. Thank you."

Duane Moody

"It is all a journey and some would say that it is just beginning. Let's talk about it."

Ashley Lightburn

"Well it has been a journey to get here and you know that. But I know that the work has just begun and I feel like I am prepared and ready."

Duane Moody

"What's your biggest anticipation for the international stage?"

Ashley Lightburn

"Just getting out there and showcasing Belize and what we have to offer and the strong women that we have here to represent our country."

Duane Moody

"Any words to the sisterhood that was created over this past week?"

Ashley Lightburn

"I love them, I appreciate them and I hope that we are able to link again so we could have fun cause we have plans for after this."

First runner up was Alina Scott and second runner up was Samantha Singh. Singh also won Miss Popularity, while Kaira Nunez was voted Miss Congeniality.

Channel 5

Ashley Lightburn Full Performance at Miss Universe Belize 2022
Ashley Lightburn became Miss Universe Belize on 13th of August. She will now represent Belize at the Miss Universe in December.


Miss Universe Belize 2022 Winner - Ashley Lightburn

Today, the Belize Tourism Board presented Miss Universe Belize, Ashley Lightburn, with a package consisting of a Belize branded carry-on, the national flag, Belize merchandise, and a cash contribution to assist with her travel expenses. Ms. Lightburn departs Belize on January 2, 2023, en route to New Orleans, USA for the 71st Miss Universe competition which will take place on January 14, 2023. The Belize Tourism Board is a proud sponsor of Miss Universe Belize. Join us in wishing her all the best as she represents the jewel on the international stage.

Ashley Lightburn's Miss Universe Belize National Costume Reveal



The national costume is inspired by the first and only Jaguar Preserve in the world; which is nestled in the luscious rainforest of the Cockscomb Basin in the small Central American country, of Belize. Ashley, like the Jaguar, is stealthy and graceful in her movement. Like the Jaguar that prowls under the moonlight and protects itself and its young, Ashley's light burns for the advocacy that is her passion; Women in STEM with a concentration in Math. Like the Jaguar that is calculating in its movements, Ashley is the calculating force breaking through the darkness to bring young Belizean women into the light of Women in STEM.

This costume depicts the Jaguar in its natural habitat glistening under the moonlight. Ashley is clothed from head to toe in a beaded jaguar print leotard, thigh-high boots accentuated by a tropical flora back piece, and a lighted moon, with the Jaguar's head prominently displayed on her body. Ashley's height and sleek body perfectly portray the agility of the Jaguar in its natural habitat. Like the Jaguar, Ashley's onyx eyes penetrate through the darkness to bring light to the young women she mentors.

The Miss Universe competition is in full swing in New Orleans.

Check out our Miss Universe 2022-23, Ashley Lightburn, on KTLA News, discussing her preparation for the Miss Universe competition on January 14th in New Orleans, USA.