Carmen Panepinto

Carmen Panepinto Zavati (born 16 November 1999) is an Italian engineer, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universo Italia 2023 and represented her country at Miss Universe 2023.

Early life
Carmen Panepinto Zayati was born in Vittoria, a town and comune in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern Italy. She holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and is currently pursuing her master's in Bionic engineering (Biorobotics curriculum). Panepinto Zayati was an electronics teacher at Istituto di Istruzione Superiore (ISIS) Carducci-Volta-Pacinotti in Piombino, Tuscany.

Miss Universo Italia 2023
Zavati was crowned Miss Universe Italy 2023 in a pageant held at the Lo Smeraldo in Canosa di Puglia on October 8. The first runner-up was Andrea Pepi while Filomena Venuso placed second runner-up. Marcella Marlene Casillo and Camilla Franchetto completed the Top 5. “Miss Universe is not only a beauty contest. It is an opportunity for girls and women to empower each other and serve as inspirational leaders and role models through their life’s missions,” Carmen posted on Instagram.

“Being an engineer, my mission is to advocate for the empowerment of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), where they are under-represented, and there is a lack of female role models.”

Miss Universe 2023
Zavati represented Italy with the national flag at The 72nd Miss Universe 2023 in El Salvador at the pageant venue Adolfo Pineda National Gymnasium (Gimnasio Nacional Adolfo Pineda) on Saturday November 18, 2023 where the reigning Miss Universe 2022, R'Bonney Gabriel will crown her successor at the end of Grand Finale.