Nadia Grace Eicher Mejia (born 22 November 1995) is an American-Ecuadorian model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss California USA 2016 and placed in the Top 5 at Miss USA 2016. She also competed at Miss Universe Ecuador 2024, eventually finishing first runner-up. [1][2]
Born
Nadia Grace Eicher Mejia
Occupations
Height
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title
Miss California USA 2016
Agency
Newmark Models LA
Hair color
Brown (dyed blonde)
Eye color
Green
Major
competition(s)
Mejia is the daughter of Ecuadorian-born musician Gerardo Mejía, best known for the 1991 song "Rico Suave", and Kathy Eicher, Miss West Virginia USA 1989, and appeared with her family on the reality television show Suave Says.[3][4][5] She is a 2013 graduate of Diamond Bar High School.[3][4] Mejia works as a model and is signed to Next Management.[5][6] She once suffered from anorexia.[7][8]
Mejia won the Miss California USA 2016 title on December 6, 2015 after previously competing three times for Miss California Teen USA and making the top twenty at Miss California USA 2015.[5][9] She went on to represent California at the Miss USA 2016 pageant where she was voted Fan Favourite and made the top five. Mejia's open sharing of her body image struggle was praised as a contributing factor for winning the fan favourite vote, however her failed attempt at answering a question about economics during the interview competition was also widely reported in the media.[7][8][10] In 2018, Mejía was featured in major advertising campaigns for Skechers and Too Faced Cosmetics.[11] In January 2024 Mejia returned to pageantry, participating in the virtual casting for the first edition of Miss Universe Ecuador,[12] where she was selected as one of the 25 contestants chosen to vie for the title. She was later designated as delegate to the U.S. Ecuadorian community in the national pageant.[13]
Awards and achievements
Natasha Martinez
Miss California USA
2016
India Williams