Miss Teen Universe Singapore 2026 Is Also An AI Researcher And International Model
Eighteen-year-old Riona Krishnan Dighe is remarkably media-trained. She sits with an elegant, ramrod posture, speaks carefully, and frequently catches herself mid-answer, concerned that she might have said too much, too little, or simply the wrong thing.
But after spending an hour with this year’s Miss Teen Universe Singapore, I realised that beneath this practised composure is a teenager who just wants to get things right.
She has, of course, good reason to feel that way. Next month, she will represent Singapore at the Miss Teen Universe global finals in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, competing against delegates from more than 30 countries.
Her prep involves a punishing schedule of fitness, speech and media training, spending three to four hours a day on catwalk classes and learning a Peranakan dance for the talent segment.
Riona has been heading towards this dream for years. She remembers watching Miss Universe on television with her mother and grandmother and wanting to become “a pageant girl”.
Modelling came first. She went from her first casting at New York Fashion Week to shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris. She was also Miss Teen London 2024 and first runner-up at Miss Teen Universe UK 2025.
Riona will be up against delegates from more than 30 countries at the global finals, which will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in October 2026. | IMAGE: HANDOUT
But there’s considerably more to Riona than the crown and the catwalk. She has also spent two years working on research applying natural language processing to Bhutan's Gross National Happiness framework, and has been involved in charity work since she was 11. She recently completed her A-Levels at Cheltenham Ladies’ College in the UK and is headed to University College London to study business.
Riona is most engaging on the rare occasion when her pageant polish slips. That’s how we find out she loves desserts, Taylor Swift and hanging out with her friends. She missed much of her final year at school while travelling for Fashion Week and studied with tutors instead.
Her friends flew in from Japan and the UK for her 18th birthday. And when we finally coax her away from the answers she thinks Miss Teen Universe Singapore should give, she admits that one of her greatest pressures is simply figuring out how to do all this while still being 18.
“I believe,” she says (that’s how she begins all her answers), “that one of the biggest pressures right now is juggling all of this and still being a teenager because I do have my friends and, of course, we all just turned 18. So, we want to have that teenager experience as well. But I believe that I’m living my dream, so I couldn’t have asked for anything else.”
One of her greatest pressures? Figuring out how to juggle all she's doing while still being 18. | IMAGE: SIM DING EN
You said becoming a pageant girl was always a dream. Where did that come from?
It’s always been a dream of mine from watching Miss Universe with my mom and my grandma. So it’s always been something that I wanted to do. I got into modelling a few years back, and last year I was at all four fashion weeks – London, Paris, Milan and New York. I started off with New York and it ended up being very successful. One thing led to another, and I was doing so many shows.
I really enjoyed the fashion lifestyle, and pageantry is close to my heart because it also leads to advocacy and being an inspiration to young children, and that aligns very close to my heart.
How did you get onto the runway?
I had a casting for my first-ever runway show; it was for New York Fashion Week, and one thing led to another. I was doing many fashion shows in New York.
For my first Fashion Week, I did around six in New York with publications such as Grazia and Elle. So, that was all very exciting for me. And the minute I was on one magazine, I knew that I wanted this path.
What did you enjoy most about Fashion Week?
I enjoyed the hustle and the bustle, honestly, as it’s true that New York is the city that never sleeps. I enjoyed going from one show to the next, all in different venues around New York. Of course, being stuck in traffic between the shows wasn’t fun. However, the panic backstage is always very thrilling for a model. I enjoy it so much because it’s so high energy.
How are you preparing for Miss Teen Universe?
For the competition, I’m doing catwalk classes for about three to four hours every day. I’m also learning a traditional Peranakan dance, so I’m able to do that in the talent segment. And I’m really excited to showcase Singapore’s history because that’s not something everyone globally knows about.
On a charity drive at Mendagang School, Punakha in Bhutan in 2023. | IMAGE: RIONA KRISHNAN DIGHE
You went to boarding school in the UK. What was that experience like?
It was a nice experience. I enjoyed it. However, going there at 11 was quite difficult in the beginning. I'd always ask my parents to bring over Singaporean snacks like pineapple tarts and kueh lapis, and my grandma would come to the UK to cook all the Singaporean delicacies for me. However, I always counted the days until I was able to be back home.
What did boarding school teach you?
It taught me determination as well as discipline because, as Miss Teen Universe Singapore, it requires a very tight schedule. The discipline I learned in boarding school definitely helped me. But of course, Singapore is a very disciplined country. I believe the core of the Singaporean mindset also helps me throughout my journey.
Sharing her research at Lentumzampa School in Bhutan in 2023. | IMAGE: RIONA KRISHNAN DIGHE
Tell us about your AI research on Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness (GNH).
This study was conducted over two years and I worked with a mentor from Cornell University who helped me throughout the process. One of the most fruitful parts of the research was actually going back to Bhutan, sharing my research with schools around Bhutan, and educating the children on what could be done in their country.
The study was partly my idea as I had been going to Bhutan from a young age to do charity work and I became very familiar with the concept of GNH as they talk about it quite widely. It's something that really struck me. I found it very inspiring because I'm a very happy person.
So, what a country does to measure happiness caught my interest. When I was talking with an official in Bhutan, he told me that it was done using surveys. I thought that surveys take too much time; it's not very cost-effective.
So I thought, why don't we use AI? You could use off-the-shelf Natural Language Processing (NLP) in order to create code which allows you to figure out the Gross National Happiness Index.
Riona as a child with her mum, who is in finance, and dad, who used to work in the oil industry. | IMAGE: RIONA KRISHNAN DIGHE
What do your parents do and how do they inspire you?
My parents have always been very inspiring. My mother works in finance and my father used to work in the oil industry. They have a very strong education, which allowed them to give me all of these opportunities. My mum has a very disciplined mindset. I believe that without my parents' values, I wouldn't be here today.
How can AI benefit your generation in the future?
I think AI can definitely be used as a tool, as it can save us time and it can make us more productive. However, one thing young people have to know is that in the future, using our own brains will be our USP.
Something we all have to do is to continue using our brains. I think relying too much on AI is dangerous. We should only use it to help us. But like everything, it should be used in moderation.
On the covers of magazines Grazia Slovenia (top) and L'Officiel Monaco (above). | IMAGES: HANDOUT
What has been your biggest pinch-me moment so far?
There are two: One of them was when this amazing crown was placed on my head, and I was the Miss Teen Universe Singapore.
Another pinch-me moment was appearing on the cover of Grazia (Slovenia) back when I was in New York Fashion Week. That was when I realised, okay, I have it. Now I have to keep on pushing and excelling to always be the best version of myself.
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