Afërdita Dreshaj

Afërdita Dreshaj (; born 19 July 1986) is an Albanian-American singer, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned as Miss Universe Kosovo 2011. Dreshaj represented the nation at the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and finished among the top 16.

Life and career

1986–2011: Early life and Miss Universe Kosovo

Afërdita Dreshaj was born on 19 July 1986 into an Albanian family in the city of Titograd, Yugoslavia (present-day Podgorica, Montenegro). In January 2011, Dreshaj was crowned as Miss Universe Kosovo and the nation's representative at the Miss Universe 2011 pageant. Held in São Paulo, Brazil, Dreshaj advanced from a total of 89 contestants into semi-finals of Miss Universe 2011 finishing among the top 16.

Personal life

She began her career as a model at age 17, upon being discovered by a photographer. She was previously engaged to the Albanian singer Shpat Kasapi. Dreshaj currently lives in the U.S., with her husband, the Czech ice hockey defenseman Jakub Kindl