   jennifer hawkins (born 22 december 1983) is an australian beauty queen, model and television presenter best known for being crowned miss universe australia and later the same year miss universe 2004 in quito, ecuador. she is currently the face of australian department store myer and the host of australia's next top model. ==early life== hawkins was born in holmesville, new south wales, and currently resides in sydney. she attended west wallsend high school in west wallsend, new south wales. she is one of four children. hawkins was a former cheerleader for the newcastle knights rugby league team, and the hunter pirates basketball team and also worked as a model. it was as a model that she was cast as miss australia for the miss universe competition. hawkins also worked as a choreographer for a dance team that toured australia specialising in hip hop and ballet. ==career== ===miss universe=== thumb|hawkins in february 2012 after dropping out of high school hawkins went on to be a model. before participating in miss universe 2004 hawkins sought advice from the previous miss australia, ashlea talbot, who represented australia in the 2003 competition, and learned basic spanish prior to travelling to ecuador. however hawkins did not participate as miss australia but as the newly instated pageant miss universe australias first winner. the miss universe pageant was held in quito, ecuador on 1 june 2004. a week prior to the event, hawkins was ranked sixth favourite to win the crown. during the final competition, hawkins became the first australian to make the semi-finals since voni delfos in 1993. she then proceeded to the top ten after competing in the evening gown competition, where she wore an unusual vintage copper gown that was designed by bora and cost a$25,000.{{cite news|title=jennifer's dress to turn heads |
1983_births Australian_beauty_pageant_winners Australian_cheerleaders Australian_female_models Australian_television_presenters Dancing_with_the_Stars_(Australian_TV_series)_participants Living_people Miss_Universe_2004_contestants Miss_Universe_Australia_winners Miss_Universe_winners People_from_Newcastle,_New_South_Wales