Cape teen representing Cuba awarded first runner-up at Miss Teenager Universe in Bali
A Cape Coral teen has represented her heritage on an international stage, earning major recognition and scholarship opportunities in a pageant setting.
Cape Coral’s Sherlyn Rodriguez, 15, represented Cuba and was awarded First Runner-Up at Miss Teenager Universe 2026, held in Bali, Indonesia, this past April.
Rodriguez, a former Mariner High School student who will attend Cape Coral High School this fall, marked one of Cuba’s strongest recent performances on the international teen pageant stage, placing second in the competition among many countries. Rodriguez earned recognition for her stage presence, confidence, and consistency throughout the nearly week-long competition that crowned its third-ever winner.
“It was a huge honor to be able to represent my country and represent all teenagers from my country,” Rodriguez said. “As a Cuban, we don’t have many representatives on an international stage that have accomplished what I have. So, being able to represent my country and show up for them was a huge honor that was incomparable to anything else in my life.”
On the road to the Miss Teenager Universe competition across the world, Rodriguez first earned the title of representing Cuba. She earned the title through a competition setting with Nuestra Belleza Nacional Cuba — a Cuba-based pageant organization dedicated to leadership development, cultural representation, and international competition preparation. Rodriguez was crowned as Miss Teenager Universe Cuba, and represented the nation for seven months before the competition in Bali.
“This achievement reflects dedication, discipline, and pride for Cuban representation internationally,” said National Director of Nuestra Belleza Nacional Cuba, Fatima Coello “Sherlyn has made history for our country on one of the most competitive global stages.”
Rodriguez is no stranger to her Cuban heritage. Both of her parents were born in Cuba, and she has taken many trips to the country throughout her life, learning about the culture, the language, and felt what it was like to be truly Cuban.
“Something I love most about my culture definitely is our spirit, our attitude, our soul,” she said. “We are very vibrant people — people that try to represent everywhere we go. That’s one of my favorite things about us. Living in Cape Coral, there are a lot of Cubans, so you get to see how our culture and our people feel about being Cuban. We’re very proud of our roots and culture, and bring it everywhere we go.”
The Miss Teenager Universe competition saw participants take part in varying activities each day, such as showcasing a talent, public speaking, sports, evening gown, and swimsuit competitions, interviews with judges, and more.
“This competition is a lot about inspiring other teenagers to believe in themselves,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a lot about confidence and empowering other people around the world. It’s something that resonated a lot with me. It’s a very inclusive competition. Inclusivity was a big thing for me in this pageant being somebody who comes from a place where there are not many Cubans around.”
Rodriguez was born in North Carolina.
“Being able to represent and show off my culture was big for me in this setting,” she said.
Rodriguez added that getting to know and converse with the other competitors was an invaluable experience.
“Learning about the cultures from each contestant was truly such an incredible experience,” she said. “Being able to learn about different countries like Malaysia, the UK, places like the Philippines — how they do things — was such an eye-opening experience and truly one-of-a-kind.”
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com