MISS CANADA IN THAILAND
Windsor’s Stepien vying for Miss Universe title
A Windsor woman is vying for the title of Miss Universe at the annual pageant in Thailand.
Marta Magdalena Stepien, 24, who was born in Poland but raised in Windsor, is among 90 contestants competing for the title. Stepien was named Miss Universe Canada in Toronto in August. She won the Miss International Canada title in 2017, and was first runner-up in the 2018 International Queen of Coffee beauty pageant in Columbia. According to her Miss Universe profile, Stepien is entering her final year at St. Clair College in biomedical engineering technology and holds a grade-point average of 3.96.
She has a strong interest in genetics and immunology and has worked as an applied researcher. Stepien, an international model for 10 years, has travelled the globe, visiting Poland, France, England, Germany, South Korea, Switzerland and Colombia and Japan — where she has worked as a government-appointed Japanese tourism ambassador.
If she brings the Miss Universe crown to Canada for the first time in 13 years, Stepien plans to work to empower young women and girls from low-income, singleparent immigrant backgrounds. She also wants to work towards creating free after-school programs that focus on technology, robotics, coding and networking. “Thank you for an amazing preliminary competition,” Stepien wrote on her Facebook page after Friday ’s preliminary competition.
“Love to everyone who has supported me ... my heart is filled with gratitude, and I am humbled to wear the Canada sash.” Earlier in the week, Stepien participated in the national costume competition wearing a Canadianthemed dress.
Last month, Stepien appeared at the show of fashion designer Michael Cinco for Arab Fashion Week where she wore a red beaded couture number.
“I think she is probably one of the most stunning contenders for Miss Universe this year,” Cinco wrote on social media. “Marta is probably one of the strongest contenders to win the crown this year.”
The Miss Universe competition will be broadcast Sunday at 7 p.m. on Fox television, WJBK channel 2 in Detroit.
Postmedia news