Under the towering eucalyptus trees of the Theatre Guild’s amphitheater garden, 16 young women were sashed as candidates for the 6th edition of the Miss Guyana Teen Scholar Pageant (MGTSP).
Now that the 16 young women have officially been conferred their candidacy for the scholarship pageant, they will compete in talent and dance preliminaries on August 17, followed by interview skills on September 1, and social enterprise presentations and elocution on September 07. The grand coronation is set for September 14 at the National Cultural Centre.
They will be vying for the title and a $500,000 scholarship. Tickets and season passes to all events are available on The Imperial House’s Facebook page @TIHGuyana.
Meet the delegates:
Candidate #1
Name: Sahqueena Ferreira
Age: 14
School: Bishops’ High
Shaqueena aspires to be an economist, so that she can help structure Guyana’s economy to benefit the Guyanese people.
Candidate #2
Name: Kiran Foo
Age: 14
School: North Georgetown Secondary.
Using the experiences from this pageant for her personal development and confidence, Kiran’s dreams are set on becoming a general surgeon.
Candidate #3
Name: Makada Critchlow
Age: 14
School: Morgan’s Learning Centre
Marvelling at the wonder of flight, Makada aspires to become an aeronautical engineer.
Candidate #4
Name: Nandita Dhanraj
Age: 18
Employment: Banking and finance
She is setting her career goals in entrepreneurship and business development.
Candidate #5
Name: Ciara Dowden
Age: 16
School: West Demerara Secondary
The law must be just, and she is determined to defend her people. Ciara will one day be a criminal defence lawyer.
Candidate #6
Name: Samara Araújo
Age: 15
School: Christ Church Secondary
You can always find her hugging a puppy; Samara aspires to become a veterinarian.
Candidate #7
Name: Laize Fontenelles
Age: 18
School: Instituto Guimarães Rosa
Laize has already attained certification in the Hydraulic Excavator Safety Course; her goal is to become a civil engineer.
Candidate #8
Name: Kristel Smith
Age: 17
Because kids need more than just care, they need comfort in the scariest aspects of medicine, Kristel wants to be a pediatric radiologist.
Candidate #9
Name: Ciara Hazel
Age: 17
The career that begins all careers, one day Ciara will be a teacher.
Candidate #10
Name: Akira Watson
Age: 14
School: St. Stanislaus College
Animals in Guyana need more than just care, they need safety, comfort, and 24/7 access to healthcare. For this, Akira aspires to be a veterinarian in her own animal hospital.
Candidate #11
Name: Tolisa Lachhman
Age: 14
School: East Ruimveldt Secondary
With a profound love for children and a strong desire to make a positive impact in their lives, she hopes one day to become a paediatrician.
Candidate #12
Name: Aleciea Morrison
Age: 18
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking”, Aleciea’s dreams are in the very clouds she will be flying through as a pilot one day.
Candidate #13
Name: Ottavia Reynolds
Age: 15
School: Westminster Secondary
Healthcare rests on the support, love, attention and care nurses give, and Ottavia will be one of Guyana’s best nurses.
Candidate #14
Name: Shaina Belgrave
Age: 18
School: Carnegie School of Home Economics.
Fashion can be empowering, and Shaina is using this platform to share just that. She aspires to be a fashion designer, a career she is well on her way to realizing.
Candidate #15
Name: Mikayla Beckles
Age: 15
School: North Georgetown Secondary.
Business is not all about profits, but a social responsibility to the communities served. She wants to become an entrepreneur who will support the needs, provide stability, and improve the quality of life of others.
Candidate #16
Name: Gabriella Gravesande
Age: 13
School: Charlestown Secondary
With a strong voice and endearing passion to protect and stand by her Guyanese people, especially those in impoverished communities, Gabriella has her eyes set on becoming a criminal defence lawyer.
