BASSATERRE St. Kitts – CONSIDERED the Miss America Pageant of the Caribbean, 11 talented and stunning teenage beauties from across the region will contest on December 30 for the 34th title of Digicel’s Haynes Smith Caribbean Talented Teen.
At the launching of the annual pageant on Tuesday (Dec 3), the two astonishing teens who are set to represent the Federation at this year’s competition explained that their journeys so far to the crown has been life changing.
With big shoes to fill from her predecessor and last year’s Miss Caribbean Talented Teen Janika Berry, representing the Sugar City is the short but yet strikingly beautiful Pernelle Abraham.
This vivacious 14-year-old, also the youngest in the competition, said that apart from her everyday duties as one of the Federation’s teen queens, she hopes to one day become a Pediatrician with the aim of helping children.
Abraham said that her interest in the performing arts and her overwhelming love for pageantry drove her to take part in this year’s competition.
She however promised the citizens and residents of Sugar City to perform to the best of her ability in order to win the title, making it a three-peat.
“Since I was like six I use to walk around and just have fun modelling for people, so I absolutely love pageantry,” Miss St. Kitts said.
When asked by this publication about who Pernelle is away from the life of a beauty queen, she had this to say, “I love to dance, sing and I love modeling.”
With the confidence to walk away with the international title for the first time, representing the island of Nevis is the tall and glamourous 17-year-old Irveeka Nisbett, who said that like her competitor, pageantry was also a passion since a tender age.
“I love performing for people and I believe I can become a beauty queen one day,” the energetic teen explained.
When asked about her life as a teenager away from the glitz and glamour of pageantry, Nisbett said, “I am a very fantastic person to be around. I am very jolly, I love to laugh, sing and dance.”
The aspiring fashion designer admitted that although she never had an opportunity to attend the pageant in St. Kitts, she has viewed the competition on a number of occasions via the internet.
The two representatives told SKNVibes that they have bigger plans in the future to compete in other regional and international pageants.
In his epigrammatic remarks at the press briefing held at ZIZ TV Studio, Committee Member Antonio Maynard said that the competition would see the return of a number of countries which have not participated for some years.
“We have confirmed the participation of 11 delegates from the various countries across the region and we are also delighted to welcome back to this competition a few countries that have been absent, including Montserrat, Guyana and Dominica.”
Just like the famous Miss America Pageant that has been in existence for decades, Maynard elucidated that the main objection of the non-profit organisation is to contribute towards the personal achievement of young people through performing arts.
“We are a community-based organisation and the Haynes Smith Caribbean Pageant is one of the superior products that have come out of the village area. It was initiated 34 years ago by teenagers and from within our community,” Maynard said.
Maynard told SKNVibes that the committee has planned to award the winner and the other competitors with some monetary donations, among other prizes.
The 11 hopefuls will compete in the Talent segment then to the Evening Wear segment, where after the finalist from those events will take part in the all-important Final Question which will help to determine this year’s queen.
