Sherlyn Rodriguez, 15, marked one of Cuba\u2019s strongest recent performances on the international teen pageant stage. PROVIDED<\/p>\n
A Cape Coral teen has represented her heritage on an international stage, earning major recognition and scholarship opportunities in a pageant setting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cape Coral\u2019s Sherlyn Rodriguez, 15, represented Cuba and was awarded First Runner-Up at Miss Teenager Universe 2026, held in Bali, Indonesia, this past April.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rodriguez, a former Mariner High School student who will attend Cape Coral High School this fall, marked one of Cuba\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a huge honor to be able to represent my country and represent all teenagers from my country,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cAs a Cuban, we don\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis achievement reflects dedication, discipline, and pride for Cuban representation internationally,\u201d said National Director of Nuestra Belleza Nacional Cuba, Fatima Coello \u201cSherlyn has made history for our country on one of the most competitive global stages.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething I love most about my culture definitely is our spirit, our attitude, our soul,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are very vibrant people \u2014 people that try to represent everywhere we go. That\u2019s 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\u2019re very proud of our roots and culture, and bring it everywhere we go.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis competition is a lot about inspiring other teenagers to believe in themselves,\u201d Rodriguez\u00a0 said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot about confidence and empowering other people around the world. It\u2019s something that resonated a lot with me. It\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rodriguez was born in North Carolina.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to represent and show off my culture was big for me in this setting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez added that getting to know and converse with the other competitors was an invaluable experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLearning about the cultures from each contestant was truly such an incredible experience,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing able to learn about different countries like Malaysia, the UK, places like the Philippines \u2014 how they do things \u2014 was such an eye-opening experience and truly\u00a0one-of-a-kind.\u201d<\/p>\n