Mara Topić

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Topić and the second or maternal family name is Verduga.

Mara Štefica Topić Verduga is an Ecuadorian beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Ecuador 2024, and represented Ecuador at Miss Universe 2024. She placed in the top 30.^[2]

Mara Topić
Born	Mara Štefica Topić Verduga (1994-03-18) 18 March 1994 (age 31) Guayaquil, Ecuador
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title	Miss Grand Ecuador 2019 Miss Universe Ecuador 2024
Hair color	Brown[1]
Eye color	Hazel[1]
Major competition(s)	Miss World Ecuador 2019 (Top 9) Miss Grand International 2019 (Top 10) (Best National Costume) Miss Universe Ecuador 2024 (Winner) Miss Universe 2024 (Top 30)

She previously won Miss Grand Ecuador 2019, and represented Ecuador at Miss Grand International 2019, where she finished in the top ten.^[3][4][5]

Early life and education

Mara Štefica Topić Verduga^[1] was born in Guayaquil, to an Ecuadorian mother and a Croatian father. At the age of 18, she moved to Los Angeles, California.^[6] Her eldest brother Jan Topić is a former Ecuadorian presidential candidate for the 2023 Ecuadorian general election.^[7][8]

Pageantry

On April 27, 2019, Topic represented the US Ecuadorian community at Miss World Ecuador 2019, where she reached the top nine and won several^[specify] awards during the final. In May, 2019 she was appointed Miss Grand Ecuador 2019, by CNB Ecuador.^[9]

On October 25, 2019, Topić represented Ecuador at Miss Grand International 2019, and reached the top 10. She was the first Ecuadorian to win Best National Costume at the pageant.^[10]

Topic won the first Miss Universe Ecuador on June 8, 2024 representing Guayaquil, and represented Ecuador at Miss Universe 2024 in Mexico on November 16 2024.^[11]