Vanessa Ponce de León

Biography

Silvia Vanessa Ponce de León Sánchez (born 7 March 1992), known simply as Vanessa Ponce, is a Mexican model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2018. She is the first Mexican to be crowned as Miss World. In the history of the Miss World competition, she holds the record for being the oldest winner thus far.

== Life and career == Vanessa Ponce was born in Mexico City, Mexico on 7 March 1992. She studied international commerce at the University of Guanajuato, in the state of Guanajuato. She resided for ten years in the State of Aguascalientes, Mexico, and for five years in the State of Guanajuato. She then returned to her hometown in Mexico City, Mexico to live and work. She speaks English, in addition to her mother tongue Spanish. During the Miss World 2018 competition, she promoted her project called "NaVali", whose objective is to help the children of the indigenous Mexican day laborers who emigrated from the State of Guerrero, Mexico to the State of Guanajuato. She also works in a school called Nenemi dedicated to the intercultural education for indigenous people. In April 14, 2022, She was married to her private boyfriend at Carmel Valley in California, United States.

== Pageantry ==

=== Mexico's Next Top Model ===

At the age of 22, she participated in the fifth season of Mexico's Next Top Model, which ran in 2014. At the end of the reality show, she was eventually declared as the winner. Her prize package included a cash prize of Mex$300,000, an appearance at the New York Fashion Week, $50,000 worth of Mary Kay cosmetics, a modeling contract with Queta Rojas management, a Volkswagen Tiguan, $125,000 worth of Tommy Hilfiger apparel and an editorial spread in Glamour magazine.

=== Miss Mexico 2018 ===

She was crowned Miss Ciudad de México 2018, and later was crowned Miss Mexico 2018 on 5 May 2018, in the Imperial Hall of Villa Toscana, Sonora, to represent Mexico in Miss World 2018. She was crowned by Miss Mexico 2017 and Miss World Americas 2017 outgoing Andrea Meza from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico.

=== Miss World 2018 === She represented Mexico at the 68th edition of Miss World. During the final question and answer round of the contest, she was asked - “How would you use your influence as Miss World to help others?” she replied by stating: