Heather Nunez biography: 13 things about Miss Cosmo Dominican Republic 2024

Heather Elley Nunez is a Dominican-American philanthropist and beauty queen born and raised in New York, United States. She represented New York in Miss USA and the Dominican Republic in Miss Cosmo.

Heather Nuñez’s profile

Nunez grew up in Queens, New York City, New York. From a young age, she witnessed domestic violence in her household.

As a young girl, Nunez visited the Dominican Republic every year to see her family. She has fond memories of the times she and her cousins would huddle up together when the electricity would go out there and share old family stories until it was restored. 

In Nunez’s free time, she enjoys writing poetry and taking karate classes. Here are 13 more things about her:

1. In 2005, after her father was deported to the Dominican Republic, she, her grandmother, her mother and her sister had to move to a small two-bedroom apartment in Sugar Hill, Manhattan, New York City.
2. In 2011, she was reunited with her father. From 2011 to 2014, while in high school, she in an abusive relationship. She turned to law enforcement for help and she was able to escape.
3. On January 18, 2015, she finished in the Top 16 at Miss New York Teen USA 2015 at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College in Purchase, Harrison, Westchester County, New York.
4. In 2016, she continued living with her single mother and helped raise her younger sister.
5. In June 2018, she graduated from the Bronx Community College of the City University of New York in the Bronx, New York City.
6. On January 19, 2020, she competed at Miss New York USA 2020 at The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. She was third runner-up to Andreia Gibau.
7. In May 2021, she graduated from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in cyber crime.
8. On August 20, 2021, she represented Kew Garden Hills, Queens at Miss New York USA 2021 and competed against 166 other candidates at the Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, New York. She was runner-up to Briana Siaca.
9. On June 4, 2022, she represented Sugar Hill, Manhattan, New York City at Miss New York USA 2022. She competed against 175 other candidates at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York and won the title.
10. On October 3, 2022, she represented New York at Miss USA 2022 and competed against 50 other candidates at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Washoe County, Nevada, USA. She was unplaced.
11. In June 2023, in collaboration with Comfort Bears in a Catastrophe, she and her younger sister donated teddy bears with motivational messages to support children impacted by disasters. On July 15, 2023, she hosted the Fire Island Film Festival 2023 in Ocean Beach, Town of Islip, Fire Island, Suffolk County, New York. On August 6, 2023, she crowned her successor Miss New York USA 2023 Rachelle di Stasio at The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College.
12. On April 23, 2024, she turned 28. On August 29, 2024, she competed against five other Miss Cosmo Dominican Republic 2024 finalists and won the title.
13. On October 5, 2024, she represented the Dominican Republic at Miss Cosmo 2024 and competed against 55 other candidates at the Phu Tho Indoor Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She finished in the Top 10.