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