Former Miss SVG graduates from UWI

Former Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sheridan Lewis, scored a major achievement recently when she graduated from The University of the West Indies (Mona Campus) with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media and Communication.{{more}}

She graduated last month after successfully completing her specialization in Multi-Media during the summer.

Sheridan said she pursued that particular programme because she believes that it has the potential to broaden her scope as a media practitioner.

“Besides doing radio and TV in a world that is embracing technology, it also taps into web, illustration, photography, image manipulation, video editing, etc. With that, it allowed me to be creative, stretch my creativity and imagination,” said Sheridan, who graduated with honours.

The 27-year-old beauty queen unlocked a door of opportunities when she won the 2006 Miss SVG pageant, which saw her winning a full scholarship from the Government of St.Vincent and the Grenadines to pursue tertiary level studies.

Prior to attending the Mona Campus in 2007, Sheridan, the daughter of Leroy and Shirley Lewis, attended the Sion Hill Government School, the Girls’ High School and the Community College Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies.

Sheridan told SEARCHLIGHT that in the future, she would like to work in programming and television production, if given the opportunity to do so.

However, in the meantime, her plan is to make a contribution to young Vincentian women.

Now employed with the Government as an Information officer at the Agency for Public Information, Sheridan said her advice to young women is: “Education is vital. It is essential in today’s society. It is the only way that can alleviate us out of poverty and I’ll encourage all young persons to bear this in mind and work towards achieving a sound education.”

She said as far as she can remember, she always had a fascination with pageantry.

“I thought it (Miss SVG pageant) would have been a perfect opportunity for me to utilize my skills in terms of speaking and being an ambassador for the country. I also aspire to be a positive representative and role model for young persons, and I think it was a wonderful gateway for that.

“Also, the scholarship was a tremendous incentive, because I thought it is a wonderful way for a young woman, especially in this country, to really move forward and make progress. Also, considering that we are in the 21st century and have to be as good or better than our counterparts, it is imperative that we have a competitive edge in the Caribbean and the world,” said Sheridan, adding that the scholarship awarded to the winner of the Miss SVG is a wonderful opportunity for other young women.

Sheridan came into national prominence as a radio announcer at NICE Radio. She said at the time, most persons listening to her would have thought that she was the bravest indivual in the world, but she was not.

Of the boost in confidence that she received from participating in the Miss SVG pageant, Sheridan said: “Interacting with people directly has been a whole different realm for me. It boosted my self-esteem and my confidence, because it allows you to meet so many different persons from different walks of life. It also gives a deeper appreciation towards life.”

Sheridan has expressed her appreciation to God for helping her to succeed in her programme, as well as the persons who supported her with words of encouragement. She also used the opportunity to commend outgoing Minister of Culture René Baptiste for her contribution towards Culture, especially with the introduction of a three-year university scholarship.(HN)