Miss Universe Singapore 2018 unveils its 15 finalists

The 22-year old SMU undergraduate, who is of Dutch, Javanese and Chinese ethnicity, once struggled with her body image and tackled depression in her teenage years. Now, she is a fitness trainer and bodybuilder. She works out four to five days a week, and deadlifts up to 120kg and squats up to 80kg.

The 22-year-old’s dreams of becoming a doctor was dashed due to depression and anxiety. She seeks to be a source of inspiration for girls, women and those who have gone through the toughest of times.

The 23-year-old Pakistani, Kashmiri and Chinese design researcher was single-handedly raised by her mother when she was growing up. With her desire of giving back to society, she travelled to Pakistan to work in a children’s hospital to raise funds for kids with disabilities.

The 26-year-old realtor faced many challenges while growing up and was diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, and hypothyroidism at the age of 20. With her optimism and positivity, she is now free of both ailments. She believes in the need to always lend a helping hand to the unfortunate.

The 23-year-old of African-American and Arab descent hopes to champion LGBT rights and the freedom to love. The freelance model and chef counts her family as her number one support system, and feels thankful to have nurturing family members who encourage her to pursue her passions.

The 26-year-old French-Chinese reiki practitioner cultivates and advocates for a natural lifestyle which involves no meat and minimal use of plastics. She also encourages women to come together and empower themselves through sharing and healing, by listening to one another’s life experiences.

The 25-year-old flight attendant of five years used to be bullied over a birthmark over her right eyebrow and now, she accepts it as a part of her unique identity. She was able to change how the world perceives her ‘beauty mark’, and proved that one can find beauty in imperfection.

The 23-year-old business development manager, who is pursuing a part-time degree, hopes to advocate against any form of sexual violence and harassment against women and children. She was a finalist in the New Paper New Face last year.

The 25-year-old freelance photographer, who is Chinese, Malay, French and Irish, is passionate in helping others. Recently, she was a photographer for community outreach initiative The Love-Aid Project’s exhibition and talk on the refugee crisis. She also volunteers with her mother from time to time.

The 26-year-old is a lawyer who champions the empowerment of women and children. She volunteers at the legal clinic at the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations and is also a mentor under a Young Women’s Leadership Connection programme that aims to empower young girls.

The 23-year-old is a full-time university student by day and business entrepreneur by night. She launched her own online swimwear business, Sorakini, last year. She hopes to spread the message that beauty pageants today are not just about pretty faces, but about women who empower others.

The 23-year-old desires to give back to society, and that to her, involves travelling the world to help those who are less fortunate and saving abandoned animals. She hopes that the competition will take her one step closer towards being a humanitarian or environmentalist.

The 25-year-old financial consultant used to be mocked by her peers for her exotic looks and struggled to fit in, which eventually led her to develop anorexia. Now, she is an advocate for individuals battling mental health disorders and is determined to fight the social stigma that surrounds it.

The 19-year-old former national rhythmic gymnast is the daughter of the first runner-up of Miss Universe Singapore 1994. For nearly a year, she volunteered at a special school for physically and mentally disabled children in England. This hits home as she struggled with mild dyslexia in primary school.

The 26-year-old pre-school teacher and freelance model was crowned The New Paper New Face winner in 2012 and was a contestant on TV modelling competition SupermodelMe in 2014. She picked up the Thai language to volunteer to teach English to children in Thailand after noticing them selling items on streets to make money.