Miss Jamaica Universe Daena Soares will aim to take home the global title when the 70th staging of the competition officially begins on Sunday in Eilat, Israel.

Soares, 22, who hails from the Breadbasket Parish, St Elizabeth, dazzled in the competition’s preliminary round on Saturday, December 11, with her Dermoth Williams designed tropical costume which draws inspiration from the vast natural resources of the parish and region.

She turned head heads with a beautiful and bright red two-piece in the swimsuit section to make a good first impression on the judges.

Soares who recently earned her bachelor of basic medical sciences from The University of the West Indie, aims to become the first Jamaican to claim the crown.

The Hampton High School alum was ranked second among the top five most diverse contestants, along with Miss Curacao, Miss British Virgin Islands, Miss Bolivia, and Miss Kenya with top rank.

Soares is an active real estate investor as well as interested in the foodservice industry.

The St Elizabeth native was rated as the Most Photogenic and voted Miss Congeniality during the local competition in October, and has demonstrated full confidence in a top finish in this Competition.

The 70th Annual Miss Universe competition is set to air at 7 pm eastern standard time.