Eight to battle for Miss Carival

They are physically breathtaking, but the real beauty shows when the eight contestants in the Miss Carival pageant open up and speak. The eight Caribbean lasses are undoubtedly filled with intelligence, class and beauty, and patrons attending the 2007 Miss Carnival Pageant tomorrow at 8 p.m. at Victoria Park will be blown away.{{more}}

Miss Dominica-Leandra Lander, 22.

A high school geography and science teacher, Leandra Lander believes young people, particularly teenage girls, need guidance and is working on implementing a programme for them. The 22-year old who is the reigning Miss Dominica, described herself as a flame that can set her audience ablaze with the tiniest spark.

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Miss St Kitts & Nevis-Tesia Burton, 20.

Her father is a native of St Vincent and the Grenadines from the village of Byrea, so Tesia feels right at home. The personal banking assistant with the Bank of Nova Scotia hopes to strengthen regional integration if she wins the Miss Carival title.

The national carnival queen of her country, the confident Teisa is looking forward to the talent and swim wear segments.

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Miss St Vincent and the Grenadines-Melissa Yorke, 23.

She is one of the most focused, determined and disciplined representatives this country has ever seen. Melissa has been training hard physically and mentally because she knows that she is not only representing herself but all Vincentians as host country of the Miss Carival pageant. The 23-year old who is a student at Plattsburg University in New York believes that young people should balance the academics with extra-curricular activities to ensure that they are well rounded.

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Miss Anguilla- Amber Woodley, 21.

The reigning queen in her country, Amber has just graduated from Brook University with a degree in Economics. She now aspires to enter the teachers’ college to become an educator which has always been her childhood desire. The 21-year old said that being a teacher is rewarding and one of the noblest professions on earth.

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Miss Venezuela- Ariana Rodriguez, 18.

The Spanish speaking native is the youngest contestant in the Miss Carival pageant but don’t let her age deceive you into believing that she is immature because she isn’t.

A sociology student at Central University of Venezuela, Ariana wants the audience to accept and embrace the winner and wished the other contestants the best. She has found Vincentians to be extremely hospitable and has fallen in love with the island.

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Miss Antigua- Jamila Gregory, 25.

A student of Economics and International Development at the University of Mississppi, Jamilia believes she possesses charisma and hopes that it would emanate when she hits the stage. She described herself as quiet, but as someone who knows when to step out to let her true self show. She is of the opinion that too many young girls lack self esteem and she aspires to do more to help raise self consciousness.

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Miss Barbados- Mariele Chetem Onyeche, 22.

Sticking to her roots, Mariele is a natural hair beauty. A student of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, she has one more semester of study in the area of bio-chemistry and hopes to pursue medicine. The 22-year old, who is a former junior calypso monarch, has a solo out and is also interested in a music career.

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Miss Dominican Republic- Maria Lopez, 20.

A social communications student who is also a TV presenter, She occasionally does some modeling, Maria loves meeting people. Her most memorable event as a media person was doing a story with the First Lady of her country on street children. The current queen title holder of her country admitted that she is on a winning pageant streak and is driven to take the Miss Carival pageant.