Young Cuban Model Secures Third Place in Miss Teen Florida Beauty Pageant

The young Cuban model Daylin Rodríguez secured third place in the Miss Florida Teen USA beauty pageant, representing Miss Carnaval Miami. Rodríguez, who arrived in the United States five years ago through the family reunification program, competed in the challenging event and managed to secure third place despite English not being her first language.

"I am very proud of my participation in @missflteenusa. Although English is not my first language, I made it to the top 5 and finished as the 3rd finalist. I am very proud of everything I have achieved with just 5 years in this country," Rodríguez wrote on her social media.

In statements to CiberCuba, Yuliet Peña, the young model's mother, said, "The representation of a Cuban girl in the Florida state competition is wonderful." She also mentioned that Rodríguez aims to participate in Miss Universe Cuba someday to represent the land where she was born on the international stage.

Peña explained that winners of the Miss Carnaval Miami contest have the opportunity to compete in Miss Teen Florida and Miss Florida. This year, Miss Carnaval Miami had two representatives: Daylin in the Teen category and model Delaney Milian in the Miss category. Rodríguez won Miss Carnaval Miami last year. In 2022, she was the second finalist in the international beauty contest Universal Petite 2022, held on a cruise departing from Tampa, Florida.

That same year, Daylin walked the runways of Times Square as part of the group of models chosen by designer Fernando Wong to showcase his outfits at New York Fashion Week 2022.