Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine January 2019 | Page 630
About her love for
pageants. I always had a love
for pageantry, for me it was a
means of escaping reality, or
what was happening around me.
Through pageantry I was able to
ignite that warrior spirit within
myself, to keep fighting for my
dreams and to be true to who I am
regardless of how others may see
me. I also wanted the opportunity
to share my story hoping that it
will be able to connect with others
who may be in the same situation
as I was, and the Miss SVG Pageant
was the ideal opportunity to do
so. It gave me a platform where
I could advocate for my cause
which was being a voice against
bullying. My first pageant was
actually in Primary School, which
was kind of a mini show but my
first “official” pageant was in 2010,
called Miss Garifuna and that was
my first crown as well. In total I
participated in seven (7) pageants
and I was successful in five (5) and
runner up in the others.
About being a role model
It is an absolute honour to be
crowned Miss. SVG and as Miss.
SVG I will continue to advocate
against bullying in my country
throughout my reign and even
after. I believe that by doing this
I will be setting a good example
for those who are looking on to
follow suit. It doesn’t matter who
you are, where you come from or
what you can and cannot afford,
what matters is that you keep
believing in yourself and never
stop trying to make a difference.
You too can evoke the change you
want to see.
About her double win in
2018. I am still lost for words.
To be crowned Miss. SVG and
then having the opportunity to
represent my beautiful country in
St. Kitts and Nevis was an amazing
and enlightening experience. I
was able to market my country
and even learn about other
Caribbean Islands as well. Through
it all it was very difficult at times,
being away from home. I was
competing in a country I knew
nothing about and that alone
made it even more nerve-racking.
However while on the island I
realized that it was no different
from home, the committee and
locals were so welcoming. Upon
meeting the other contestants
it felt like we already knew each
other, it was so easy being friends
and socializing, at one point it
did not even feel like we were
competing against each other.
Overall it was an absolute honour
to represent my country and I am
extremely delighted that I had
the opportunity to meet so many
wonderful people along the way
and was able to make my country
proud. I thought it would have
been impossible to walk away
with two (2) titles in one year and
in such a short space of time, but
because of the mercies of God
and my team I was able to come
out successful. It really goes to
show that if you put God first
with a little bit of hard work and
determination, you can achieve
anything.
About the causes she is
passionate about.
As a child growing up I was bullied
a lot because of my family’s
financial situation and because
of this I was very reserved. I had
a low self-esteem and it affected
my work in school tremendously.
I felt like no one could have
helped me, I was alone. That is
why I am extremely passionate
about fighting against bullying,
because I know how it feels to be
attacked and to feel like you’re
worth nothing, to feel like you will
never amount to anything and I
want others to know that they are
not alone in this fight and all of
us can make a change if we stand
out, speak up and let our voices
be heard.
“Since childhood, I have always had a deep
love for nursing and caring for others.”
~ Shellisa