The search for Guyana’s brightest teen scholar was completed at the Coronation of the 2024 Miss Guyana Teen Scholar Pageant (MGTSP2024) on Saturday evening at the National Cultural Centre.
The delegates performing the opening dance
Under flowers, stars, and a dazzling light show, 16 young women of the 2024 programme presented their evening wear, talent, ballroom dancing skills, and intellect, but it was the poise, fluency, and the answer to the final question, “How can providing equal opportunities for young people, regardless of their socioeconomic background or community, influence the future of our society?” that ultimately won Ciara Dowden, a 16-year-old student of the West Demerara Secondary School, the crown.
Dowden responded effortlessly, that providing equal opportunities promote fairness and a levelled playing field for all young people, positively influencing our governance systems and society. She focused her answer on equality to gender, stating that everyone regardless of their gender deserves equal opportunities, and as a people, we are to reject gender biases and discrimination wherever it exists. Shaina Belgrave,18, of Carnegie School of Home Economics earned the 2nd Runner-up spot while Makada Critchlow, 15, of Morgan’s Learning Centre emerged as 1st Runner-up.
The new Queen Scholar is now the recipient of the $500,000 MGTSP scholarship that covers any academic-related costs over the next two years, a return ticket to Trinidad or Barbados compliments of Muneshwers Travel Agency, an outfit and styling from Naked Hangers, a Spa Treatment from Kavita’s Signature Cuts, and a Medical Checkup Compliments of Max Hanoman’s Medical Centre.
Her role during her reign is to encourage young people to pursue their education and careers, doing good for their communities and contributing to national development. She will be given a community development fund to manage along with her court, in pursuing her own ambitions.
Other awardees of the programme include Gabriella Gravesande for Best Talent, Ciara Hazel for the Committee Award for Resilience, Kristel Smith for Miss Congeniality, Tolisa Lachhman for Miss Photogenic, Akira Watson for People’s Choice, and Makada Critchlow for Best Speaker (Elocution), and Best Social Enterprise Presentation.
Course Scholarships from ActionInvest Caribbean and Cerulean Inc. will go to the runners-up, People’s Choice awardee, and the Step Up! Champion, the elected leader of the Step Up! Programme, a complimentary programme for young men in support of the candidates of the MGTSP Programme. This year’s Step Up! The champ is Jose Roberts.
MGTSP – the only scholarship programme of its kind in the Caribbean – is held annually in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, with the support of core partnerships from Corporate Guyana dedicated to gender and education development.
