Joheirry Mola Dominguez has added an international beauty crown to a career that had already taken her through journalism, teaching, modelling and community advocacy.
The 24-year-old Dominican Republic representative was crowned Miss World 2026 in Vietnam on Saturday, September 5, beating contestants from more than 100 countries during the pageant’s 75th anniversary edition.
Spain’s Elisabeth Reynes was named first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty finished as second runner-up.
But Mola’s journey to the crown began long before she stepped onto the global pageant stage.
A graduate of Business Management and Administration from Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), Mola has built a diverse professional career that includes education and broadcast journalism.
She teaches Literature and Social Studies in English and also works as a news correspondent for Univision New York’s Ventana a Quisqueya, where she reports on Dominican culture, community affairs and social issues.
Her journalism career has also seen her cover major events in the Dominican Republic. In March 2026, she reported on the Premios Soberano, one of the country’s biggest entertainment awards, for Univision and hosted press conferences associated with the event.
Her experience in education has equally shaped her public advocacy.
Mola is the founder and president of Voices of Tomorrow, an initiative focused on improving access to English-language education for children and young people in vulnerable communities.
She promotes English education as a means of opening doors to further education, employment and other opportunities for young people.
That cause became central to her Miss World campaign, where she presented herself as more than a contestant competing for a crown.
Mola entered the international competition after winning the Miss World Dominican Republic title in 2025. She had earlier represented Distrito Nacional before securing the national crown at the Barceló Punta Cana Convention Center.
At Miss World 2026, she strengthened her position with a strong showing in the Top Model challenge, earning an automatic place in the Top 40.
She continued to advance through the rounds before making the final six, alongside contestants from Eritrea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Spain and South Africa.
During the final stages, Mola repeatedly highlighted education and her efforts to expand English-language programmes in underserved communities.
Her victory now makes her only the second woman from the Dominican Republic to win the Miss World title.
The country’s first Miss World crown came in 1982, when Mariasela Álvarez won the competition.
More than 40 years later, Mola has restored the title to the Dominican Republic, capping a journey that has taken her from the classroom and newsroom to the world’s biggest beauty pageant.
