Mexico’s Andrea Meza crowned Miss Universe

However that 'mindset' changed when Andrea saw her countryman Ximena Navarrete claim the Miss Universe crown in 2010, she revealed.

'[My dream of being Miss Universe] started when I was around 15 years old when Ximena Navarrete won Miss Universe,' she said.

'I used to think that Mexican people were not able to get to these places and to be in these high positions, and after she won, she changed the mindset that I had.'

But even after overcoming her fears about how her heritage might hold her back, Andrea says she still faced an uphill battle to achieve the kind of self-confidence needed to step out on the Miss Universe stage.

'I always thought that I was not pretty enough, that I was not smart enough, and I was afraid of being in front of cameras or microphones,' she shared.

Andrea added that her feelings of self doubt made her Miss Universe dream seem 'impossible' at times, however she says she was determined to 'get out of her comfort zone' - even if that meant facing her fears head-on.