Twenty-five-year-old Ashley Lightburn, a resident of Belize City, is Belize’s latest beauty ambassador as she was able to snatch the Miss Universe Belize Crown, at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, August 13th, 2022.
Despite strong competition from five other contestants who all participated in segments of Swimsuit, Evening Gown, and a few rounds of Questions and Answers, Lightburn was able to sway the judge’s decision in her favor.
Lightburn who is a Project Manager Officer at a local bank and adjunct lecturer of Mathematics at the University of Belize will now go on to represent Belize at the Miss Universe Pageant, which will be held in December of this year at an unannounced venue.
Lightburn holds a Bachelor’s in Pure Mathematics and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Business Administration. She says, “This pageant, to me, is not only about displaying external beauty but also about inner beauty. I aim to show young girls that you can have all beauty and brains, and you should use it to inspire others and build your country. “
The first runner-up is Alina Scott, a twenty-seven-year-old Ph.D. Candidate and Littlefield Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, who hails from the Cayo District. She holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in History and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in History, Scott, who was the crowd’s favorite and appeared to have been one of the strongest competitors among the delegates, has represented Belize at several international volleyball competitions.
The second runner-up place went to Samantha Singh, a twenty-seven-year-old writer from Placencia, Stann Creek District. Singh holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Loyola New Orleans and a Culinary Arts Degree from The New School of Cooking.
A total of six contestants from Belize City, Belmopan, Placencia, Orange Walk, San Ignacio, and Spanish Lookout, all walked their hearts out on the stage, but despite being armed with dazzling smiles, gracious poses, and drop-dead gorgeous looks, only one was able to snatch the crown and become the 2022-2023 Miss Universe Belize.
Chabil Mar joins the nation in congratulating Miss Ashley Lightburn on such a huge accomplishment. We are certain that she will represent our jewel to the best of her ability and wish her nothing but success as she embarks on this one-of-a-kind journey.
We also wanted to express our appreciation to all the other candidates who participated in this year’s competition and commend them on their bravery, dedication, and commitment.
