Representing the U.S. Virgin Islands on the global stage, Adisha Penn shared her journey through the Miss Planet International Pageant in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The competition emphasizes environmental awareness and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Penn advanced through preliminary rounds, competing in swimwear, evening gown, and national costume, before reaching the finale on March 15, which focused on advocacy platforms and speeches.
She won the national costume segment among delegates from around the world and secured a top 10 placement overall. In the top 10, contestants delivered speeches tied to sustainable development goals. Penn chose to highlight clean water and sanitation, aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, and proposed a new goal centered on cultural heritage preservation.
“As a native Virgin Islander, I have seen firsthand the diminishing cultural characteristics we have in our community,” Penn said, pointing to traditions such as moko jumbie stilt dancing and coal pot cooking as examples of important cultural practices worth preserving and passing on. “As the generations go, more and more forms of expression in our culture are disappearing. They are becoming extinct. I think it’s important that we still maintain them. We might not have to use them every day, but it is still important to know how.”
For Penn, representing the Virgin Islands internationally was both personal and meaningful. “I feel I was able to represent the Virgin Islands on a global stage because I am a Virgin Islander natively. My family goes back to times of the Danish West Indies, so I’m able to speak on different cultural aspects of the territory,” she said.
She emphasized her commitment to be a voice for the community. “As somebody who’s passionate about Virgin Islanders, passionate about my community, I feel like I’ll be able to speak on things that we identify as Virgin Islanders and be able to answer questions that people might have or propose new ideas, passionately, honestly and transparently,” Penn said.
She added that she wanted to use the pageant to raise awareness for sustainable development in the territory. “I really wanted to use this opportunity to bring awareness to the community because I feel like oftentimes we are not very active in the area of sustainable development,” she said.
Penn expressed deep gratitude to the U.S. Virgin Islands community for their support, including the Tourism Department, Leslie King from Strictly the Best, Wilbur Callender, Virgins Haven, YDK Who Shot It, Cassera’s Dynamic Designs, and The Pretty Factory. She also thanked her family and the people of Cambodia.
“I definitely would love to thank the community for their unwavering support. I felt the love when I was in Cambodia. I saw the posts online, I got phone calls, I got text messages. Even from the Cambodians, I received a lot of love from them as well,” Penn said.
Penn said she wanted to use the pageant as a platform to raise awareness for all Virgin Islanders. “I do have projects in mind that I will be starting this year,” she said, hinting at the creation of a nonprofit organization. “I want to use this opportunity to bring more awareness to Virgin Islanders and encourage more people to get involved.”
