During almost three years, Marian Enrich, mother of Crissian Daniela Hernández, refused to support her daughter's dream of competing in beauty pageants. This Tuesday, in an interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba, she confessed that this time weighs heavily on her. "It hurts me so much to know that I didn't want to support her. I didn't want to at first."
Now, Crissian Daniela Hernández, at the age of 16, is getting ready to represent Cuba in the contest Miss Teen Interglobal 2026, which will take place in August in Bali, Indonesia.
Marian Enrich's hesitation had two reasons. The first was cultural. As a Cuban emigrant, her priority was for her daughter to study and obtain a professional degree. "It's the baggage we Cubans carry: study, study, and bring us a degree," she acknowledged. The second reason was economic: participating in beauty contests requires an investment that a middle-class family, reliant on a salary, cannot always afford easily.
"You know, when you are an immigrant and you come to this country, you focus a little more on the need to study, to improve yourself, and to build a future for yourself, striving to have a profession that can provide for you now, tomorrow, and in the future. So that was my bias," the mother explained.
Additionally, according to Marian Enrich, beauty pageants in Cuba "are not very common," which reinforced her reservations. Even Daniela's stepfather would tell her, "Daniela, you are beautiful, that’s true, but this isn't for you and this isn't your world. Study, focus on your studies."
It was Daniela herself who, after three years of persistence, managed to convince her family. First, she participated in Teen Cuba, where she finished as the first runner-up, a result that began to change her mother's outlook. "I insisted a lot until she gave me the opportunity. Then I went, participated in Teen Cuba, and finished as the first runner-up," the young woman shared.
Marian Enrich admits that her change of heart came when she saw her daughter in action, even though at first Daniela "literally didn’t even know how to walk in heels." "I didn’t, I literally didn’t believe that she could do that, because I had never been in that world and she was so convinced that I thought, oh my God, but how long will this last? She’s not going to get tired. There was no way," she recalled.
The final push came from coach Brayhan Guerrero, who trained Daniela Hernández throughout this process and was the one who gave her the green light to make the international leap. "Until my coach told me to wait, saying he thought I was ready and that we should go for it. He has also been training me through all this," Daniela stated.
Before traveling to Indonesia, the young Cuban has already built a remarkable history. She was featured on the cover of the French magazine Malvie, and on July 4, 2026, she made history by starring on the cover of Magazine Teens at the Mayu restaurant in Miami, becoming the first Cuban to achieve this. Her national costume for the competition was designed by the Panamanian Roger Pérez.
This would not be the first time Cuba shines in international youth competitions. Cuban young women have won the Miss Teen Global title in two consecutive editions, with Naisha Nardo and Isabella Toledo. Daniela arrives in Bali with the same ambition. «I am very excited to walk through those doors in Indonesia. A Cuban is coming to win that crown».
Filed under: