Singaporean, 18, makes history with Miss Teen Universe Asia win

Riona Krishnan Dighe, 18, has become the first Singaporean to win Miss Teen Universe Asia.

She competed against more than 30 other delegates at the finals in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Oct. 25, AsiaOne reported.

Riona also received the Miss Popular Choice award, determined by online public voting.

Her pageant platform focused on children’s education and access to learning, drawing on charity work she began at age 11. For the talent round, she performed a traditional Peranakan dance to showcase Singapore’s heritage to an international audience.

"I came to Cambodia as a girl from one of Asia’s smallest nations and I leave with the honor of representing an entire continent. A continent of billions, countless cultures and extraordinary women," she wrote on Instagram on Oct. 27. "To think that a Singapore girl has been chosen to carry the Asian crown is something I could only have dreamed of."

She thanked her mother, national director, team and fellow contestants for their support.

Following her Miss Teen Universe Singapore victory in July, Riona prepared for the international pageant through fitness and public-speaking training. She told Wonderwall in September that she also spent three to four hours a day attending catwalk classes.

Beyond pageantry, Riona is involved in artificial intelligence research. She spent two years exploring the application of natural language processing to Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness framework, with guidance from a Cornell University mentor.

The project also took her to Bhutan, where she presented her research at schools and spoke to children about what could be done in their country.