Meet the Six Delegates Vying for Miss Universe Belize
Pageant week has officially opened as the Miss Universe Belize committee searches for the next beauty ambassador to represent the country on the international stage of pageantry. Six delegates from across the country are vying for the coveted title and will compete inside the Bliss auditorium this Saturday, August thirteenth. And today, News Five’s Duane Moody was at Vinotopia in Belize City when they were officially sashed. Meet the Miss Universe Belize 2022 beauties.
Sigourney Usher
Sigourney Usher, Cotongco Dry Goods
“Honestly it wasn’t in my mind to run for Miss Universe Belize this year, but I got the opportunity and why waste an opportunity. So I am here and I am enjoying the process so let’s see what God brings.”
Kaira Nunez
Kaira Nunez, Paulino’s Funeral Home
“It is something so out of my comfort zone and this will give me more resilience and make me more confidence in myself.”
Kenia Tejada
Kenia Tejada, West Coast Coaching Services
“I decided to join because I felt like I needed the boast in confidence and I wanted to make more friends.”
Samantha Singh
Samantha Singh, Chial Reserve
“I decided to join the pageant because being in a position of privilege to speak about the advocacies that I am really passionate about has always been a dream of mine.”
Reporter
“What are some of those advocacies?”
Samantha Singh
“It’s literacy in the arts in particular.”
Ashley Lightburn
Ashley Lightburn, Belizean Dreams
“I think I am in a stage of my life now where I’ll be able to represent our country well and inspire young girls and young people, in general, to pick up any leadership position that they might find fit and do it.”
Alina Scott
Alina Scott, Phoenix Boutique
“I wanted to give back. I have been studying for a really long time and every time I come home, I am filled with joy and just overwhelmed by the creativity of Belizean artists and small businesses and I just wanted to invest in them and uplift them in my platform.”
Duane Moody, Reporting
The 2022 cohort of beauties for the Miss Universe Belize pageant comes from different walks of life. They’ve been putting in the work, despite their busy schedules. They say the preparation has been gruelling, but rewarding as well.
Sigourney Usher
“I’m still studying, I’m working and I live abroad so for me it has been tiring, it has been all over the place, a rollercoaster of emotions, but gotta pull it together and just keep going.”
Duane Moody
“You’re ready for pageant night?”
Sigourney Usher
“I can honestly say that yes I am.”
Kaira Nunez
“The process has been quite hectic, however, I have been managing it with my personal life and it has been a good balance and I think I am doing a great job in keeping everything intact.”
Kenia Tejada
“I come from a very small community and we are very religious so I don’t have a lot of support, but I have my set group of cousins and close family that have been behind me so they made it a bit easier. But it’s been a lot of hard work.”
Samantha Singh
“It’s been really rigorous to be honest. It’s been a lot of practicing in the heels every single day, it’s been working out, trying to make sure we stay up to date with content creation. So it’s been a rollercoaster, but it’s been really rewarding.”
Ashley Lightburn
“It’s been challenging. So I am working, I’m a lecturer, I’m doing my masters and I’m preparing for a pageant so I have my hands full right now.”
Alina Scott
“This has been a journey. Balancing PhD coursework and writing my dissertation as well as learning how to walk in heels has been a learning curve for me so I am really excited to just show everyone all that we have been working on.”
This year, House of Crowns by Team Destination is the official trainer for the delegates. Five of the six opted to do the training which focused on all aspects of presentation – from social media presence, to runway, public speaking and more. Its president is Miss Universe Belize 2019 Destinee Arnold.
Destinee Arnold, President, House of Crowns by Team Destination
“We wanted to make sure that each time that we selected a new group of girls that we are raising the notch. We are talking about girls who are going from farm life to pageant life, those who are studying for their masters and PhD’s. We are definitely showing the world what Belize has to offer on a different level. I think they are going to have to exemplify forward thinking. We already heard the announcement that Miss Universe is changing up the rules next year, so it is more about how to amplify being an empowered woman, being confident, showing what that looks like in your country and how you can relate to the girls internationally.”
As if they were already in the question and answer segment, the media asked each of the delegates their perspective of what beauty is. Here’s how they responded:
Sigourney Usher
“Empowering and feminism. Two words, big words.”
Kaira Nunez
“Someone with beauty is someone who is kind, someone who is caring, someone who others will look at you and think wow this is an amazing person. So beauty is definitely not on what is on the outside, but rather what is inside.”
Kenia Tejada
“To me it’s being confident in who you are and what you are. Sometimes it is about looks – take care of yourself and not let yourself go – but definitely, it is about knowing who you are and embracing that.”
Samantha Singh
“Beauty is confidence. Beauty is being confident in your own choice of self-expression no matter what it looks like.”
Ashley Lightburn
“To be beautiful, it means that you are confidence, but you’re also humble and you use your beauty in positive ways that you are able to help other people.”
Alina Scott
“I believe beauty comes in different shapes and sizes so there is no one definition of beauty. But at the end of the day, being beautiful is standing in your own identity and choices and just owning who you are – whatever that looks like, whatever shape or size you are.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
