Miss Easterval 2023 plans to take Miss SVG title back to Union Island

Drawing on her past pageant experience, Kewanna Hackshaw aims to win the Miss SVG crown and take it back to Union Island.

“People don’t recognise talent from Union Island. I am here to show the talent that Union Island has to offer,” the Southern Grenadines lass told SEARCHLIGHT at a ‘meet and greet’ event at La Vue Hotel this week.

The passage of Hurricane Beryl had taken a toll on her mentally, and Kewanna wasn’t able to contact her family. Her focus therefore shifted from the pageant to the people of Union Island.

“I took a little break from the pageant and all the events to go down to Union Island and see how I can help out.”

The Miss Lynch Caribbean Brokers-sponsored contestant, said she lost her home, as did some of her close friends, but even though they lost a lot, it did not stop them from coming together as one family.

Hackshaw spoke about sharing the same values as the 2021 Miss Universe, Katrina Dimarana, who advocates for women in male-dominated roles. She has expressed a desire to become an engineer and be the first to build a skyscraper in St Vincent and the Grenadines, while also focussing on enhancing infrastructure in the Southern Grenadines.

“We need a better ferry wharf for boats to come down to the Grenadines because that’s our main mode of travel.”

Hackshaw said when she received news about being in this year’s pageant, she almost thought it was a scam until she checked the following day and realised it wasn’t a dream.

“I was so excited, I even shared it with my students. It was so emotional.”

Hackshaw was crowned Miss Easterval in 2023, and then went on to take part in the Miss Carriacou pageant, where she gained more knowledge about pageantry. The 19-year-old from Clifton, Union Island, never envisioned herself being in pageantry, as she was referred to as a ‘tomboy’ at school. She said if she becomes Miss SVG 2024, she will be doing it for her island.