Two queens share Miss Belize Crown
It didn’t draw a record number of fans, but it sure did set the record as the first Miss Belize pageant to ever yield two winners. At the end of the tightly contested competition, twenty-one year old Felicita Arzu, representing the Orange Walk district, was crowned Miss Belize World 2006-2007 while twenty-four year old Maria Jeffery, representing Belize City, was declared Miss Belize Universe. According to Arzu, she says competing in the pageant was unlike anything she had ever done before.
Felicita Arzu, Miss Belize World 2006-2007
?Wow! Well this experience has been overwhelming. I?m really excited and I?m proud to represent Belize not only within our own country but also internationally. I cannot wait for that. The most exciting thing would have to be the night of the pageant.?
?In addition to pageantry, I also have a passion for singing. In 2004, I began competing in singing competitions. I sang for Love FM and I won the karaoke competition countrywide. So that was really exciting for me. I also participated in KTV that same year and that was also fun. I host a TV show in Cayo, and it?s really exciting. I gained a lot of exposure. I would like to appeal to most of the young people. Presently, I?m studying to become an English teacher, so education is well within my field. I would like to advise everyone to take great heed to what your parents and grandparents are saying. They have experienced a lot, and it?s very important to consider education. Your education is very, very important because with that nobody can take that away from you.?
As for Jeffery, she says her main focus has been and will continue to be that of representing the Belizean people.
Maria Jeffery, Miss Belize Universe 2006-2007
?Well the most exciting part was meeting everyone because I really wanted to see who all was going up. Everyone was beautiful and everyone was perfect. Then the night came and of course that was very exciting. Like I?ve told everyone, I?m a nursing student at U.B. That?s something I?m definitely interested in. I?ll definitely continue my studies and of course volleyball. I played volleyball from high school. I?ve been in a lot of competitions abroad as well. I?ve represented Belize internationally at the Central American games, and it?s something I want to continue doing whenever I get the chance. I?d like to address everyone. I want them to look at people and treat them, treat them exactly the way they want to be treated. I mean, if you?re like that, you?re going to go far, no matter what you do. I think that?s one of the most important things I?ve learned in life. I am definitely looking forward to representing Belize to the best I can, like I keep telling everyone, you can?t go wrong with doing your best.?
Both Jeffery and Arzu will begin training for their respective pageants immediately.
