Miss Venezuela 2007, Dayana Mendoza, was crowned Miss Universe 2008 at the pageant in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 13, 2008. The Venezuelan beauty queen was born on June 1, 1986 in Caracus, Venezuela. Early in her life, at the age of 15, Mendoza became independent and lived in many different countries without her parents and without the knowledge of the languages in those countries. She said her greatest accomplishment is that she succeeded in working with different cultures and learning from them. Mendoza is a model and signed with Elite Model Management in 2001, in Nice, France. She also works with companies such as Max Mara and Costume Nacional where she has modeled in nine different countries for Versace, Robert Cavalli and other fashion designers. She speaks 3 languages: Spanish, English and Italian.
Mendoza is the fifth Venezuelan to win the Miss Universe title and is the first winner from the country since Alicia Muchado won in 1996. She was crowned with a tiara worth $120,000. Her prize package includes a year contract promoting Miss Universe, world travel and a New York City luxury apartment. She will also receive a $100,000 stipend for a two-year course at the New York Film Academy and be given free access to famous fashion houses and beauty parlors. Mendoza will spend the year traveling the world to lecture on humanitarian issues and to promote education regarding HIV/AIDS.
