Adisha O.M. Penn will represent the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Miss Planet International pageant in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 15, a press release from Miss Planet International U.S. Virgin Islands announced. The competition runs from March 5 through March 15 and focuses on environmental awareness and sustainability.
Penn, a native of St. Thomas, was born and raised in the territory and graduated from Charlotte Amalie High School in 2013. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Clark Atlanta University in 2017, graduating as salutatorian. After college, she worked as a records management clerk for the District Court of the Virgin Islands, later taught English in China, and returned home to teach in the public school system, according to the press release.
She has an extensive background in pageantry, holding titles that include Miss Charlotte Amalie High School 2012, Virgin Islands Carnival Queen 2013, USVI Caribbean Queen 2015, and Miss World USVI 2021. She was also named Sheen Beauty of the Year in 2024, the press release stated.
Penn is a licensed esthetician, certified massage therapist, and a news reporter with the Virgin Islands Source. She is the creator and host of the Mother Hen’s Show and participates in cultural arts, including stilt dancing, flute, and steel pan performance. Her platform, Fit, Farm, Fresh, promotes health, food security, hygiene, sanitation, and sustainable living within the community, the release stated.
The 2026 competition marks the first time the U.S. Virgin Islands will be represented at the Miss Planet International pageant, it stated.
