Miss Universe 2012 is the 61st Miss Universe pageant, and will be held on December 19, 2012 in PH Live at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Leila Lopes from Angola will crown her successor at the end of the event. 89 countries and territories are expected to participate in this year pageant and broadcasted live in participant countries and teritorries by NBC, Telemundo & the international broadcasters.
HOMETOWN: Panama City
AGE: 26
Stephanie Vander Werf was born and raised in Panama City. With a mother from Panama and a father from Argentina, Stephanie got to travel every summer with her family. No matter where they are, her family spends their Sundays having lunch and watching soccer games. She enjoys yoga, reading, dancing, and swimming with her father.
HOMETOWN: Luque
AGE: 25
Egni Eckert was raised in Luque, Paraguay. Growing up, she frequented church. Her interests include traveling, modeling, and being active outdoors. Currently, Egni is working as a model while also starting a foundation that provides shelter and job-training for those in need.
AGE: 24
Nicole Faveron was born in the capital city Lima, but moved to the Amazon city of Iquitos in the jungle region of Peru. Her main interests revolve around modeling and acting, but in her spare time she enjoys horseback riding, traveling, and watching movies. Currently, Nicole works in modeling while obtaining a degree in Psychology and taking acting classes. Nicole strives to one day create a psychology clinic, through which she can help people in poverty throughout her nation.
HOMETOWN: Balanga
AGE: 23
Janine Tugonon was raised in the Bataan Province, where she grew up with her mother, sister and grandparents. She spent her childhood going to the farm with her mother and the markets with her grandmother. An adventurous spirit, Janine enjoys hiking and climbing mountains. She also loves to travel and cook classic Filipino dishes. Janine is an avid trader, and one day hopes to work as a social entrepreneur .
HOMETOWN: Malbork
AGE: 23
Marcelina Zawadzka was born and raised in Malbork, a city known for being home to some of Poland’s most famous castles. Currently, Marcelina is studying cosmetology while also pursuing a career as an international model. She is also the face of a campaign organized by Feminoteka, a foundation that helps women who have experienced violence. One day, she would like to open her own spa.
HOMETOWN: Rio Grande
AGE: 20
Bodine Koehler was born in Amsterdam, and moved to Puerto Rico where she was raised by her parents. Her interests include traveling, playing the piano, singing, and jogging through Puerto Rico’s National Rainforest. She is a trained pianist and music composer.
HOMETOWN: Brasov
AGE: 26
Delia Duca was raised in an area known as one of Romania’s oldest and most historical regions. Growing up, she sent her time playing chess, going to school, and spending quality time with her family. She has also developed a love for mountain trekking, dancing, and partaking in fashion shows. Her goal in life is to become a project manager of a software development company, and hopefully one day establish her own company in this field.
HOMETOWN: Smolensk
AGE: 19
Elizabeth Golonova Grew up in Smolensk, a small secluded city with a close-knit community. Elizaveta loves travel, pilates, and cooking, however, her biggest interest is playing the piano. Recently, she graduated from music school with a Piano Class degree, and is currently studying Law at the Moscow State University of Railway Engineering.
HOMETOWN: Curug
AGE: 21
Branislava Mandic grew up in a small village in Vojvodina, Curug. She spent her childhood hanging out with friends and having picnics with her parents and sister. She has a love for books, sports, cooking and baking. She is currently studying to become a teacher, but would also love to become a famous model as well.
HOMETOWN: Singapore
AGE: 24
Lynn Tan was born in raised in Singapore, Singapore. When she is not devoting her time to raising awareness for the training of guide dogs for the blind, she likes to read, travel, and play golf. Currently, she is working as a Mergers and Acquisitions Associate with Deloitte, and hopes to one day become a Partner for the company.
HOMETOWN: Prievidza
AGE: 24
Lubica grew up in a small town in Prievidza with her parents and an older sister. Lubica would like to study Architecture and Construction so that one day she can become an architect. Lubica loves to snowboard because it is fun and a great way to feel relaxed.
HOMETOWN: Pretoria
AGE: 23
Melinda Bam was born and raised in picturesque Pretoria, South Africa. She graduated from the University of Pretoria, South Africa with Honors. Melinda has a wide variety of hobbies through which she maintains a strong balance between sports and art. She aspires to one day start an internal marketing agency that would focus on corporate culture and business psychology.
HOMETOWN: Barcelona
AGE: 22
Andrea Huisgen grew up in Barcelona, a city located off of the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Andrea’s biggest passion in life is horseback riding, a sport she has participated in for the last 15 years. When she’s not around horses, Andrea likes to spend her time with friends and family. She also enjoys traveling. One day Andrea hopes to have a career in Equine Therapy, which aims to heal depressed, anxious and autistic children through interaction with horses.
HOMETOWN: Colombo
AGE: 25
Sabrina Herft was born in Colombo- the capital of Sri Lanka. A true island girl at heart, Sabrina jokes that she could swim before she walked. Currently, she is the media coordinator for a World Bank funded project. Sabrina desires to become a world-renowned media personality with her own talk show shedding light on global social issues.
HOMETOWN: Goteborg
AGE: 22
Hanni Beronius was raised in the suburbs of Goteborg, Sweden and is the second eldest of six children from a blended family. Due to the nature of her father’s career, Hanni has been able to travel the world from a young age. Hanni is currently studying Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics in hopes of creating a non-profit organization aimed at providing reconstructive surgery to those in need.
HOMETOWN: Berne
AGE: 21
Alina Buchschacher was raised in a quiet area of Berne, Switzerland. Alina has been an active horseback rider for 14 years and is currently training in show jumping and dressage. Her career ambition is to obtain her degree in Business Administration and eventually take over her father’s Real Estate business. Alina supports a wide variety of foundations and volunteers in her spare time.
Panama Stephanie Vander Werf[66] 26 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) Panama City
Paraguay Egni Eckert[67] 25 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) Luque
Peru Nicole Faverón[68] 24 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Iquitos
Philippines Janine Mari Tugonon[69] 23 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Balanga City
Poland Marcelina Zawadzka[70] 22 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Malbork
Puerto Rico Bodine Koehler Peña[71] 20 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) San Juan
Romania Delia Monica Duca[72] 26 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Bucharest
Russia Elizaveta Golovanova[73] 19 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) Smolensk
Serbia Branislava Mandic[74] 21 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) Čurug
Singapore Lynn Tan[75] 24 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) Singapore
Slovak Republic Ľubica Štepanová[76] 24 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Prievidza
South Africa Melinda Bam[77] 24 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) Pretoria
Spain Andrea Huisgen[78] 22 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) Barcelona
Sri Lanka Sabrina Herft[79] 25 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Colombo
St. Lucia Tara Carla Edward[80] 24 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Gros Islet
Sweden Hanni Beronius[81] 22 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Gothenburg
Switzerland Alina Buchschacher[82] 21 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) Bern
source: Missuniverse, Wikipedia
