Ruënna Mercelina
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Ruënna "Sugar" Mercelina (born January 18, 1992) is a model and actress from the
Dutch Caribbean The Dutch Caribbean (historically known as the Dutch West Indies) are the New World territories, colonies, and countries (former and current) of the Dutch Empire and the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea, mainly the norther ...
. She has been featured on the covers of publications including ''GO Weekly Magazine'' and ''Dolfijn FM Magazine''. She is the former titleholder of Miss Caraïbes Hibiscus Curaçao and the winner of the Best in Evening Gown category. Additionally, she was crowned Miss Teenager Curaçao and earned the Miss Teenager Universe Congeniality Award during her reign.


Early life

Ruënna was born in the St. Elizabeth Hospital to parents Ruthsella Mercelina-Troncon and Gwendell Mercelina Sr. She was raised in a
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home. She also had a brother, Gwendell Mercelina Jr. He is a media personality and politician in
Curaçao Curaçao, officially the Country of Curaçao, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southern Caribbean Sea (specifically the Dutch Caribbean region), about north of Venezuela. Curaçao includ ...
, an international youth ambassador, and the former Youth Parliament President of Curaçao. Mercelina attended Johan van Walbeeck Kindergarten and Elementary School, and then the
Albert Schweitzer Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was a German and French polymath from Alsace. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. As a Lutheran minister, ...
High School. She completed her Marketing and Public Relations degree at the College of the Dutch Caribbean and is now pursuing a degree in the University of Curaçao in Education.


Career


Modeling & Pageantry

At 12 years old, she was discovered by a local agent Emilka Eustachia of A2Z Models, and started modeling while attending school. Later, she participated in the Miss Curaçao Teenager pageant and fashion shows of the former Curaçao Beauty Organization of Mr. Aubrey America. She also worked in the organization's Model Image division as a model instructor for children and pre-teens. In her first beauty pageant, she won the titles of Miss Curaçao Teenager Talent, Most Beautiful Legs, and Miss Internet, and was given the title of Miss Kitatin (Kitatin being the most popular Dutch Caribbean online media community). At the Miss Ecstasy International in
Anguilla Anguilla is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Sa ...
she won the Miss Personality award and won the Miss Caribbean Talented Teen in St. Kitts and Nevis. She has appeared on the covers of magazines such as ''4 You-th'' and has featured in advertising campaigns for companies such as
Albert Heijn Albert Heijn (), often abbreviated to AH () and informally to Appie (), is the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands with a market share of 37.7% in 2024. It was founded in 1887, and has been part of Ahold Delhaize since 2016. History Th ...
, Fun Miles, Maduro & Curiel's Bank (MCB), and Post Spaarbank. In 2008, Mercelina won the title of Miss Teenager Curaçao 2008. In
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, the Minister of Culture called her the Ebony Goddess. She became the Miss University & College of the Dutch Caribbean in 2010 and represented the university in the national colleges and high schools' competition during
Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...
season in the national Teen King & Queen election. In 2010, Mercelina was a finalist for Miss Caraïbes Hibiscus. In 2011 Mercelina was voted Miss Teenager Congeniality at the 2011 staging of Miss Teenager. In 2013, Mercelina was selected as Curaçao's Tourism Queen 2013 and was also the one who inducted the 2013 Curaçao's Grand Carnival Parades. As an ambassador to the island of Curaçao, she served in neighbor island
Aruba Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná Peninsula, Paraguaná and northwest of Curaçao. In 19 ...
together with Venezuelan celebrities Leonardo Villalobos of "
Super Sabado Sensacional Super may refer to: Computing * SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter/player * Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages * Super key (keyboard button ...
" and actress Carolina Perpetuo, as judge for the
Aruba Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná Peninsula, Paraguaná and northwest of Curaçao. In 19 ...
's 59th
Carnival Queen Carnival Queen, or sometimes Carnaval Queen, is the name or title given to a woman or a girl who is chosen to perform official duties during the celebration of the Carnival, a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent wherein the mai ...
and 19th Mrs. Carnival Queen. In 2013, she was also voted National Carnival Queen and was the first person to win seven out of the eight titles in the National Carnival Queen Election.


Curaçao International Film Festival Rotterdam

Ruënna served as hostess of the First Inaugural ''Curaçao
International Film Festival Rotterdam International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, focused on independent and experimental films. The inaugural festival took place in June 1972, ...
''. The first film festival of such magnitude and scope that ever took place on
Curaçao Curaçao, officially the Country of Curaçao, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southern Caribbean Sea (specifically the Dutch Caribbean region), about north of Venezuela. Curaçao includ ...
. More than 25 films and 11 'shorts' were screened in the new six-screen multiplex theater The Cinemas, located in the Otrobanda district of Willemstad, over a four-day period (was held from March 29 to April 1, 2012.)


Acting

She played the lead role in the comedy "Gainan Fini" as a female writer who transforms into a homosexual man to write a book of the "life within the gay community." She is also an actress in the international production company
Endemol Endemol B.V. (stylized in all lowercase) was a Dutch-based media company that produced and distributed multiplatform entertainment content. The company annually produced more than 15,000 hours of programming across scripted and non-scripted gen ...
's Dutch Caribbean youth soap-series "''Ki bo Ke Men?''" (What do you mean?). In 2012, she played ''"Tisha",'' the lead role of a fifteen-year-old girl who must choose whether to go through an unplanned pregnancy. The play, which was aimed at teens in the Dutch Caribbean and the Dutch Kingdom, explores issues such as tradition, sexual morality, and personal choice. The play was written by Albert Schoobaar, who also wrote "Deconstruction of Edsel K.". Tisha was produced by Teatro KadaKen. The play ran from March to November 2012 at the youth theatre "La Tentashon" in Willemstad, Curaçao.


Philanthropy

In August 2010, Mercelina co-founded the WE LEAD Foundation, which aims to foster leadership and civic engagement among youth in Curaçao.


References


External links


Sugar Official Website

Sugar Official Facebook Page

Official Agent

Miss Caraïbes Hibiscus Curacao Facebook

Miss Caraïbes Hibiscus Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercelina, Ruenna 1992 births Curaçao beauty pageant winners Living people 21st-century Dutch actresses 21st-century beauty pageant contestants People from Willemstad Dutch film actresses Dutch female models Dutch television actresses Dutch women television personalities Dutch public relations people Curaçao entertainers