With the international leg of the Miss Jamzone Pageant on the horizon, Hits and Jams (HJ) Entertainment has announced the names of the three young beauties who will be vying for the opportunity to represent Guyana in what has become one of the most popular annual events.
Ashley Cameron, 23, Alicia Bess, 23, and Christel Mittelholzer, 22, are the finalists in the Miss Guyana Jamzone 2013 competition, but only one will emerge on top and secure the chance to go up against the international competitors.
The screening process for the trio was filmed last Sunday and will air on HJTV 72 at 20:00 hrs tomorrow, during which Guyanese will be briefed on when and how they can go about voting for the finalist of their choice.
Frances Abraham, HJ’s Public Relations Officer explained that the girls were chosen from a total of eight applicants. Rather than go the way of a full-blown local pageant, Abraham said, H&J used an “in-house screening process” to determine which of the girls would make the vital cut in the final leg of the selection process.
They were selected based on the depth of their knowledge about Guyana, and how well they will be able to sell Guyana as a tourist hot spot. This criterion was the most important since the pageant is aimed at bolstering Guyana’s tourism industry. But what exactly qualifies any of them?
Christel Mittelholzer
For Christel Mittelholzer, passion is her X Factor. A quick glance at the Berbice-born belle is all it takes to conclude that she has what it takes in the looks department. She also has a brain to match.
This ACCA student, who also holds a Diploma in Business Management, says that she is passionate about everything she does, and intends to bring this passion to the competition. Noting the tourism underpinning of the pageant, Christel said that Guyana’s “black waters” coupled with our rainforests and waterfalls makes the country a unique destination for tourists. Given the chance, this is the message she intends to make known internationally. This is her first ever attempt at pageantry.
Ashley Cameron
This will also be Ashley Cameron’s the first pageant, although she has been modelling since the age of 17. Ashley, a final-year International Relations student at the University of Guyana, says charisma and confidence are her weapons in this battle of beauty and brains. She says if she wins the chance to represent Guyana, her focus will be forest conservation, and encouraging tourists to come experience Guyana’s virgin rainforests. She described herself as a “social butterfly” and said that the large support base she has amassed through participation in activities, including the National Youth Parliament and several fashion shows will give her the competitive edge needed to win the competition.
Alicia Bess
Alicia Bess, having competed in several previous pageants, is easily the veteran among the finalists. In addition to this competition, Alicia, who is currently an Admin Manager at AU Drilling Inc, has taken part in three other pageants, including the Miss Bartica Regatta where she captured the first runner-up and Miss Congeniality spots. Alicia says she is cool, calm and collective and, if she wins the competition’s local leg, is desirous of promoting Guyana as a tourist destination not just for foreigners, but for Guyanese well. She says that every year Guyanese spend tremendous amounts to travel abroad on vacations, unaware of the fact that Guyana has some of the best destinations in the world. She intends to change this.
