and I also want to do things that I don’t necessarily expect myself to do,” Kellyman told the Jamaica Observer last Sunday at the AC Hotel in Kingston, shortly after she and the 29 other contestants were sashed and presented to the public for the first time. Samantha McFarlane, one of the five regional queens in the pageant (she is Miss Universe Jamaica West), said pageantry was not in her immediate plans.

“I was not planning on entering a pageant but along the way, I’ve learnt a lot and that there’s just so much to our pageants, you can grow as a person and improve your confidence,” said McFarlane. Model and actress Esther Moore says the pageant has provided a great atmosphere for her. “I love the creative space, and I love this atmosphere. I love being around the creatives, this is something that inspires me,” she said.

Imani Peterkin (Miss Universe Jamaica Northwest), who is involved in the construction management industry, says the competition has been helping her to expand her limits. “This pageant is definitely pushing my boundaries. It has been a very transformational journey,” Peterkin explained.

Among the finalists are two medical professionals, Gabrielle Henry (she’s presently studying ophthalmology at the University Hospital of the West Indies), and Marian Millaneise, a medical doctor at the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital. The diverse line-up also includes a schoolteacher, an 18-year-old student and two attorneys-at-law Keandra Wellington and Simone Gardner, both crowd favourites. Luz Tejada-Edwards is the managing director at Magna Motors, the distributors of Hyundai, title sponsor for the Miss Universe Jamaica pageant.

“It has been a great partnership working with the Miss Universe Jamaica team. At Hyundai, we believe in empowering and uplifting women. Seventy per cent of our customers are females, so we really believe in this initiative,” Tejada-Edwards told the Jamaica Observer. The new queen will walk away with a brand-new Hyundai Kona hybrid motorcar and will be the company’s brand ambassador for a year. In addition to intense training, the contestants will make courtesy calls to pageant sponsors as well as government officials. (Jamaica Observer/ Garfield Robinson)