03.JULY.09

by J. Soso-Vincent

As the nine contestants in the Miss Carival 2009 pageant make their last minute preparations to vie for the crown, they took some time out to speak to the media and introduce themselves to the Vincentian public.{{more}}

Proud holder of the Miss SVG 2009 title, 20-year-old Veronique Williams, is a resident of Chateaubelair. She currently works at the National ICT Training Project, and has ambitions of pursuing a career in Financial Consultancy.

With a keen interest in fashion and pageantry, Veronique placed 2nd runner up in the Miss North Leeward pageant 2008 – surely a warm up to her victory at the Miss SVG pageant 2009.

Veronique is confident that she can replicate the success of Miss Carival 2008 Ronique Dellimore by winning both Miss SVG and Miss Carival titles. “This is my domain! This is home… I’ve upped the level of my performance. You can expect more from me. I’m not only representing myself, I’m representing my sponsors and the entire nation!”

Representing the Dominican Republic is Seila Subervi Sierra. The 19-year-old is currently finishing High School and is determined to become a professional singer. The Spanish-speaker has a keen interest in the performing arts and in her spare time she enjoys playing volleyball, going to the movies, surfing the internet, and indulging in her favourite food – seafood!

Seila currently holds the titles of Miss Carival Dominican Republic 2009 and Miss Caribbean Dominican Republic. She also revealed that one of her many ambitions is to travel to all the Caribbean and European countries.

Seila confessed that St.Vincent is much different from her homeland – Vincentians are much more approachable and friendlier. “The people pay much more attention to you!”

Twenty one-year-old Deyanira Morales is all set to bring the pride of Venezuela to SVG’s shores. A self-confessed perfectionist, Deyanira has a genuine passion for the interests in her life. She enjoys, among other things, cooking, reading, drawing, and dancing at the disco.

Currently studying Publicity and Marketing at university, Deyanira also has a keen interest in modelling and the fashion world. She intends to bring a Venezuelan flavour to the competition. “I will show them just what Venezuelan women can do.”

Samantha Boone is proud to be representing ‘Sugar City’ St. Kitts & Nevis, and believes that the confidence and ambition that her parents instilled in her will facilitate her scooping a top spot in Miss Carival 2009. She related that meeting the other contestants was a great experience for her. “It’s always good to make new friends!”

A high achiever, the 25-year-old graduated from the State University of Plattsburgh, New York, with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. At university, she was deeply involved in various organizations and social activities.

Samantha enjoys reading, travelling, singing and listening to music. Currently she works as the Operations Manager at Boonie’s Golden Fashion – a family-run business; serves as property Manager of CRB Property Management; leads her church’s youth choir, and teaches part time at the local Convent High School.

Asheida Charles, representing the Spice Isle of Grenada, is an ambitious and confident 23-year-old who enjoys reading a good book, cooking, and relaxing in the company of good friends and family.

Currently a Marketing student at St. George’s University, the pageantry bug bit Asheida in 2002 when she participated in a school pageant. Since then she has competed in several other competitions of this nature. She believes that the experience she gained will bring her success at Miss Carival 2009.

Asheida hopes to one day own her own business, so that she will be able to make a difference in her community and beyond.

Asheida also promises patrons an excellent display of talent. “Expect to see me in a different role for talent… you’ll have to come out and see just what it will be!”

Although she was born in New York, Derri-Ann Browne was raised in Antigua and Barbuda and is keen to make her country proud. From the tender age of 2, Derri-Ann has been trained in ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance, and according to those who know her well, she is quite the songstress.

In her free time, Derri-Ann enjoys travelling, modelling, going to the beach, water sports, cooking and socializing with her friends. She is also an accomplished poet, with some of her works being published in a few publications.

Last year, Derri-Ann was crowned Miss Antigua Queen of Carnival, and graduated from John Jay College, New York last May with a bachelor’s degree in Forensic Science.

“I’ll be bringing a lot of fun and uniqueness to the show,” she promised.

Twenty two-year-old Kayan Toussaint hails from the nature island of Dominica and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Accounting at the University of the West Indies. She has further ambitions of becoming a corporate lawyer.

In her spare time, Kayan delights in dancing, modelling, playing the violin and relaxing with good friends. “I’m proud to be representing Dominica. I’ve been watching the way this pageant is being organised and I can see it’s a very prestigious one,” she commented.

Representing St. Lucia, 21-year-old Cathy Daniel first entered pageantry 3 years ago when she won St Lucia Miss Earth. Cathy also took part in Ford’s Face of the Caribbean model search. Although she did not win the much-coveted US$150,000 contract, she believes that she gained a wealth of experience along the way.

Currently, she is furthering her studies in Business Management and successfully completed a certificate in Bridal Consultancy. In everything she does, Cathy aims to be a role model for her peers and others.

On the upcoming competition, Cathy remarked: “It’s going to be a showcase of beauty, talent and intelligence.”

Aisha Delaney, of the Bahamas, will also compete in the Miss Carival pageant 2009, and promises to deliver a performance that personifies everything Bahamian. “I think I’m a very strong contender… my edge is my personality… outgoing and friendly!”

She currently works within the Bahamas education system and hopes to assist in raising awareness of the need for trained educators of children with special needs.

Aisha has a firm ‘No sex before marriage’ policy, and wishes to one day become a positive role model for young women and a leader in her country. She recently took part in the Miss Bahamas Universe pageant.

These confident young women promise to bring their ‘A’ game on the night, and are encouraging the public to support the show. They are in agreement that pageants are an excellent way of building self esteem and aiding in one’s overall development. They also refute critics who say that such competitions are outdated and serve no other purpose but to objectify women. Miss Bahamas Aisha Delaney quipped: “Don’t knock it before you try it!”

SEARCHLIGHT wishes all contestants the best of luck, and looks forward to some healthy competition!