The newly crowned 2008 Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza looked gorgeous in a long yellow gown at the 57th Annual Miss Universe press conference last July 14 at the Diamond Bay Resort and Golf in Nha Trang, Vietnam. The 22-year-old beauty queen is an interior designer and professional model who also happens to love photography. She said that what helped her win the crown was her experience back in Venezuela where she was kidnapped yet she taught herself to remain composed and unruffled even during that dreadful moment in her life. As the reigning Miss Universe, she hopes to have her voice heard and eliminate violence in her country.