come celebrate our golden jubilee
46 As far back as I can remember, attending the Queen of Carnival Competition was always number 1 on my family’s “To Do” list for Carnival. Besides holding my mother’s hand as a by-stander on Market Street and watching the colorful costumes pass by, more than anything else, I looked forward to one day being Miss <strong>Antigua</strong>. And so, each year I watched and relished in sheer admiration, as a new queen was crowned and became the bearer of a title that to me is the most prestigious of them all. Why “prestigious” you may ask? In essence, the young woman who wins this title is our most visible cultural ambassador, and for me, it was an honor to have been chosen to be a contestant vying Mas Music F a n t a s y for the title which is the ultimate representation of a festival whose roots are grounded deeply in history. These roots delve even deeper than the visuals of pageantry, mas and revelry that we have all come to enjoy as carnival today. The Queen of Carnival Competition has been a platform for many women who seek an avenue where they can express themselves creatively. It is a great launching pad for many programs developed by participating contestants, who have gone on to win the title and have continued these programs centered around community service. My platform, dubbed “Developing our Youth through the Arts”, allowed me to work with and engage more than 50 young men and women over a one week period. This was not only inspiring, but also gratifying and was my way of giving back to the community through our country’s most valuable asset – our youth. Queens of Carnival are therefore not only beauty queens with a purpose, but the experience gained by being a contestant proves beneficial as it serves as a personal developmental tool. As a 2002 contestant, I learned the value of hard work, developing strong talent and public speaking aptitude, as well as all the necessary skills for approaching life with confidence. With that being said, as we celebrate 50 years of Carnival it is important to recognize the true value of this festival as a cultural, social, and economic commodity. As such the young woman who has the honor of becoming Queen of Carnival should brand herself by using the cultural resources available and packaging it with her own personal stamp. Since my stint as Queen of Carnival five years ago, many doors have opened and unlimited opportunities abound. One of the things I have had to learn during this time, was how to harness my home-grown talents into a competitive yet unique package that is more suited to an international audience. The Queen of Carnival was a stepping stone to International stages such as the Miss Universe and the Miss World pageants, the latter at which I succeeded in gaining the title of “Most Talented”. In all honesty, the Queen of Carnival title propelled me towards international fame, but most importantly, was the opportunity this medium afforded me was to make millions of people set their eyes upon our tiny twin island state. I look forward to even greater opportunities as I continue to work towards building my brand as an international entertainer and business woman in this growing multimedia world. Despite the glory of pageantry, I made sure to remain focused on my education and I studied with a passion and fervor to learn. A Bachelors Degree in International Criminal Justice afforded me an opportunity to gain experience as a diplomat at the United Nations and serve not only my country, but also other world nations. Now, as part of the tourism team U.S.A, my job requires me to travel and promote the destination all over the United States. This affiliation has also allowed me the unique opportunity of packaging my career in music through various channels that can also be used to promote our tourism product. So, as we reflect on the past 50 years, we should all recognize that the Miss <strong>Antigua</strong> Pageant now more appropriately called the Queen of Carnival Competition, has, and will continue to positively impact not only our young women, but our society both culturally and economically. Happy 50 Years of Carnival!!!