Miss Universe Cayman Islands Tahiti Seymour touched down in Grand Cayman on 3 Dec. after more than 24 hours of travel from Asia, ending a whirlwind three-month journey that took her from the Philippines for intensive training to the Miss Universe stage in Thailand, then on to Hong Kong before flying home.
Greeted with great fanfare on arrival, she spoke candidly about the experience, reflecting on her time on the global stage and what comes next.
Seymour described the competition as both transformative and purposeful. “The experience for me was an adventure, and I believe that Cayman deserved my all, and that’s definitely what I gave,” she said. “I poured my whole heart into growing my career and making a global impact, building on my past accomplishments while creating new ones.”
A purpose ‘louder than all of the drama’
Seymour acknowledged the intense scrutiny surrounding this year’s Miss Universe pageant, which took place on 21 Nov. in Bangkok, but said the substance of her work and achievements far outweighed the noise.
“I definitely believe that while it was quite a controversial year for Miss Universe, the impact that it had is louder than all of the drama.”
This year’s Miss Universe drew global attention after several high-profile disruptions, including the resignation of a judge who raised concerns about the transparency of the selection process.
Even so, Seymour emphasised that Miss Universe remains a powerful platform because every woman on its stage is already a deserving queen, chosen by her nation to embody its highest ideals.
Beyond the Crown, the Miss Universe Organization’s social impact initiative, strengthens that purpose by empowering all delegates to drive meaningful change through advocacy, community service and purpose-driven projects that continue long after the competition ends.
Zero Hunger Universe
For her Beyond the Crown platform, Seymour chose SDG 2: Zero Hunger. Her signature initiative, Zero Hunger Universe, launched while she was in Asia, is rooted in education and storytelling, designed to amplify the challenges and solutions within global food systems, particularly for vulnerable island communities.
“Zero Hunger Universe is a global campaign for equitable food access and what I’ve done is taken my love for journalism and made it a travel food journalism experience,” she said.
“I’ve also written a book, available online for free, because I believe everyone should be able to understand what Zero Hunger is and what food security is.”
Born and raised in Bodden Town, Seymour is no stranger to farming and agriculture, and her academic background in Politics and International Relations from Queen Mary University of London deepened her understanding of global inequality. She also wrote her undergraduate thesis on food security in small island states.
At just 18, she became the Caribbean Youth Leader for #Act4Food #Act4Change, a UN-backed movement for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, an early platform that allowed her to speak out on hunger and climate change, issues that shape Cayman and her generation’s future.
“Promoting food security on islands isn’t just about growing more food,” she said in a recent interview with Forbes. “It is my mission to use my Miss Universe platform to bring visibility to a complex challenge that affects, not only us in the Cayman Islands, but millions of people across small island nations throughout the world.”
Her time abroad became an extension of her advocacy as much as preparation for the Miss Universe stage.
In the Philippines, she toured Urban Farmers PH, spoke with growers innovating in vertical farming and aquaponics, and met with Regis Chapman, the United Nations World Food Programme country director who previously oversaw WFP’s work in the Caribbean, including Cayman.
In Hong Kong, she explored Green Skies Aquaponic Farm and The Edible Projects Café, where she saw another dimension of sustainability, social inclusion. The café, a social enterprise, trains and employs autistic youth, using urban agriculture as a pathway to independence.
After months abroad, Seymour said returning home brought relief and grounding. “It feels really good. I’ve been away for three months, and I always feel grounded and connected to my roots whenever I come back home to Cayman. I can’t wait to start getting more active in the community.”
Part of that next chapter includes a formal partnership with the Cayman Islands Government. “What’s next is populating the calendar with my partnership with the Ministry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure,” she shared.
“We’re going to be doing a lot more community engagements and using my skills and my influence to make that impact for small island developing states around the world.”