CHINESE-PORTUGUESE MODEL CASSANDRA CHIU BECOMES MACAU’S FIRST-EVER MISS UNIVERSE DELEGATE

Local Chinese-Portuguese model, dancer and content creator Cassandra Veronica de Jesus Chiu was recently selected as the first-ever Miss Universe Macau 2024 and she is set to compete at the 73rd Miss Universe pageant, which will take place at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico on 16 November, during which reigning Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios will crown her successor.

“I’m incredibly honoured to announce that I am the very first Miss Universe Macau. I can’t believe I will be representing Macau at the 73rd Miss Universe competition in Mexico this November,” the University of Macau (UM) graduate, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Studies, said in her Instagram post.

“I’m eternally grateful for this opportunity to showcase my beautiful city, to embrace diversity, and to inspire others. I will give it my all. Let’s put Macau on the map,” she added.

Chiu told Good News Macau, “I am fully committed to showcasing our culture and values on this platform, and I am excited to seize this opportunity to make a positive impact.”

Asked about how she felt after winning her title, the 23-year-old former Macau Anglican College (MAC) student said, “It feels surreal to be representing Macau in Miss Universe. Growing up, I watched the competition and never imagined that our small city could participate, let alone that I would be the first to represent it. This is truly a dream come true for me.”

Speaking of her multicultural background, multilinguist Chiu said: “My parents are of Chinese-Portuguese descent, which has provided me with a unique perspective, as I was raised in a household that embraces both Chinese and Portuguese cultures.”

She also told Good News Macau, “While English is my first language, I am also fluent in Cantonese and I am working on improving my Mandarin and Portuguese skills.”

Meanwhile, Hong Kong will this year also send a delegate to the Miss Universe pageant for the first time. The neighbouring SAR will be represented by the recently-crowned Miss Universe Hong Kong 2024 Joanne Josephine Rhodes. (Gilbert Humphrey)