Amelia Vega Polanco became the first Dominican woman to be named Miss Universe, in 2003. At the age of 18, she was the youngest winner since 1994.

Vega's father, Otto Vega, is a general medical practitioner with offices in New York City and Miami. Her mother, Patricia Polanco Alvarez, also born in Santiago de los Caballeros, was a previous national titleholder who represented the Dominican Republic at the 1980 Miss World pageant. Vega is the niece of the Grammy Award–winning singer Juan Luis Guerra.

Standing 6-feet-tall, statuesque Amelia Vega won the 2003 Miss Universe pageant, becoming the first Dominican ever to win the title. Along with her natural beauty, it was her personality that swayed judges to crown her.

A native of Santiago, Dominican Republic, Amelia was born on November 7, 1984. She was trained for pageantry in Venezuela however, and defeated a Venezuelan model in her first pageant win. The school then changed it's rules and decided to ban the training of foreign contestants.

She had planned on going to college to earn a degree in TV production before her big win; and in 2003, Amelia signed a contract as a Cover Girl spokesmodel and joined the likes of Tyra Banks, Christie Brinkley, and fellow Latina hottie Elsa Benitez. An aspiring singer, she has recently cut a demo and is recording her first CD.

Amelia Vega "Pasa Un Segundito" Music Video :


Vega is now concentrated on the development of her business career