September has been an exciting, busy time! I started the month by finishing up a Carnival cruise. The cruise was amazing, my favorite place to be is at sea, so I really enjoyed waking up to look right out the window at the ocean. I loved being able to spend time with my MISS UNIVERSE sisters, Miss Universe Aruba 2022, Kiara, and Miss Universe El Salvador 2022, Alejandra, because I hadn’t seen them since January. But my favorite part of the cruise was stopping in Belize and meeting up with Miss Universe Belize 2022, Ashley. It was great to connect with her again while learning about her country’s culture.
After the cruise, I spent some time in New York. First, I attended Here Lies Love, which is the first-ever ALL Filipino-led cast on Broadway. This was my first time attending a Broadway show and it was a great experience. I got to meet up with the cast and crew – they were extremely fun, welcoming, and kind. Then, it was my first New York Fashion Week! The entire week was non-stop fun, and inspiring! My favorite thing was walking in the Tanner Fletcher show as a surprise guest. They did a “beauty pageant” themed show and recognized me as Miss Universe, something I’ve never seen done before at a fashion show. This was also a significant day for our MUO community, as we released the exciting news that the age limit will be lifted starting with the 2024 season.
Then it was on to Florida for a Smile Train event, where the energy was so high. I had the chance to meet some of the 2023 delegates at the event. The best was raising $20,000 for Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft palate charity.
Currently, I’m in Paris as the keynote speaker for the Hult Prize Global Finals’ OnCampus Awards. I was so honored to share my story with so many incredible changemakers. Now I’m making the most of Paris Fashion Week, so expect some fun content coming your way soon!
Next up, I’m heading to L.A. to work with Olivia Quido skincare, going to El Salvador for some pre-filming for the 72nd MISS UNIVERSE (it’s coming!), and setting myself up for a successful 2024.
I’m looking forward to what next month holds!
-R’Bonney
