For years, Kaziah Liz Mejo did not feel like the girl who belonged on a beauty-pageant stage. She has openly spoken about being insecure about her looks, personality and almost everything about herself. At one point, she says, she did not even have a single unfiltered photograph of herself.
What changed was not overnight. She deliberately worked on her communication, personality, appearance and confidence. She began walking onto stages even when she didn’t feel confident, adopting what she calls a “fake it till you make it” approach. Eventually, the confidence she was pretending to have became real.
And the girl who once struggled to believe in herself has now reached the biggest stage of her young life. A dream that began with a crown
Born in Kerala and raised during her formative years in Abu Dhabi, Kaziah is today a 19-year-old law student from Mavelikkara, balancing academics with modelling and the performing arts. Her parents have also encouraged her to remain serious about academics alongside her pageant ambitions.
Her interest in pageantry was sparked after watching Harnaaz Sandhu win Miss Universe in 2021. That victory made Kaziah dream of one day representing India herself.
She began competing in pageants in 2024, winning Miss Teen Diva 2024 at 17. Her official pageant profile also records 12 years of classical dance training, along with singing and playing the drums and violin. She had already stepped into acting through the Malayalam film Shylock.
Then came her first major international test. In 2025, Kaziah represented India at Miss Teen International and finished as the first runner-up. It was a disappointment after dreaming of the crown, but she later described that loss as an experience that prepared her for what came next.
In 2026, Kaziah won Miss Universe Kerala, becoming the youngest title-holder from the state. More importantly, she entered the national competition carrying a very personal goal: to prove that the girl who once doubted herself could stand among India’s best.
On 23 August 2026, at the grand finale in Jaipur, that journey reached a new height.
At 19, Kaziah defeated 52 other finalists to become Miss Universe India 2026, the first woman from Kerala to win the national title. Tamil Nadu’s Vaishnavi Gannesh was the first runner-up, while Gujarat’s Anushri Satavlekar was the second runner-up.
Now, the law student, dancer, actor and model will carry the Indian tricolour to the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico in November 2026.
Kaziah’s story is about what happens when self-doubt is met with discipline, rejection with resilience, and a dream with the courage to keep showing up. The girl who once struggled to see her own worth is now preparing to show the world exactly what she is capable of.
