Miss Universe Canada 2018 - Marta Stepien

She will represent Canada at Miss Universe 2018 being held in December in Bangkok, Thailand.

Marta Stepien was born in Warsaw, Poland and was raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She is entering her last year of her biomedical engineering technology studies, and is working as an applied researcher, and model. Marta is extremely passionate about her field of studies, and hopes to inspire young women to not shy away from STEM fields, but rather to shatter glass ceilings and break barriers.

Education has been a lifelong focal point of Marta’s life. A passion for technology and an admiration for modern medicine inspired her to pursue a career in both fields. Currently, she holds are 3.96 GPA and is going to be completing her final year of biomedical engineering technology studies at St. Clair College. She is also completing a certificate through the HMX Fundamentals program at Harvard Medical School in genetics and immunology in her spare time. Her love for education and STEM has given her opportunities to work as a researcher, and improve the lives of others by doing what she loves. This love, along with along with her passion for giving back to the community, led her to becoming an ambassador for Le Petit Écolière – a Toronto based company that works with Plan Canada and Plan International in order to provide young girls the means to an education.

Modeling has been a huge part of Marta’s life, beginning her career in the industry at the age of 14. After being scouted, she signed with a mother agency in Toronto. By the time she was 15, she was signed in Paris and Seoul, and was actively working at her career and traveling often – all while balancing it with completing her high school education. Currently, she is signed in Toronto, Canada; London, England; Miami, USA; and Zurich, Switzerland. She has worked with brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Lululemon, Schwartzkopf, Beach Bunny, Naeem Khan, and Selfridges, shot campaigns for David Shoe Stores, Hello Kitty, and Calla Blanche Bridal, and appeared in dozens of publications. It’s given her the opportunity to see the world at a young age, which helped shape the strong independent woman she has grown into today.

Travelling the world through both modeling and pageantry allowed Marta to better understand the world and people around her. It also opened her eyes to the issues in the world, and made her determined to become part of the solution to said problems. She currently focuses her efforts to end stereotypes, and inspire young women to follow their ambitions, through her volunteering and guest speaking opportunities.

Though pageantry has been a new challenge for Marta, she feels that it encompasses many of the things that are important to her in life – modeling, education, volunteering, and above all, making a positive impact on her community and the world. After placing 1st Runner Up at Miss Universe Canada 2017, she went on to receive the title of Miss International Canada 2017, and compete at Miss International that year. Marta also represented Canada at Reinado Internacional del Café 2018 (Miss International Queen of Coffee) where she placed 1st Runner Up – a pageant where Canada hadn’t placed at since 2006. Her pageant experience has taught her how to overcome barriers, and stand up for what you believe in. Marta is actively and ambitiously working towards proudly representing Canada on the Miss Universe stage.

http://missuniversecanada.ca