10 Hispanic Beauties Who Won Major Pageants (3 of 6)

7. Stella Araneta

Part Colombian, part Polish, and 100% Chickadee, Stella Araneta has been active in the beauty pageant world for more than half a century. She finished 6th at the Miss Universe contest in 1960 and became the first Latina to win Miss International that same year. At 85, not only is she still kickin’ she is the director for the Miss Philippines competition.

6. Mariasela Álvarez

Crowned Miss World in 1982, the thing that separates Mariasela Alvarez Lebrón from the other contestants is that she didn’t parlay her achievement into a career in acting, broadcasting, or um… beauty… pageantry? Instead, she is a renowned architect in her native Dominican Republic, having designed multiple buildings, including the Torre Cristal, which is regarded as a landmark in the D.R.