You can expect to see Delroy Walcott promoting male pageantry and youth empowerment. He believes the youth are the future and without productive youth, our future will be useless. “Anyone with ability can reach the top, but it takes one with character to remain there,” he says.
Delroy, Mr Guyana Talented Teen 2014, surpassed 5 of his peers on Sunday night last to take the title in only the second pageant of its kind here.
Delroy, who is 19, said his journey to teen king status was not a smooth one. His mother was opposed to it at first. It was only when he pressed, informing her that the training included table and social etiquette and ballroom dancing that she finally acquiesced. “She was convinced that these activities serve to build an individual,” he said. At the end her response, he noted, was “Job well done.”
Delroy, a Capricorn, grew up in Lodge. He entered the pageant because he believes that pageantry serves as a facilitator in bringing out hidden qualities and perfecting innate abilities in an individual. Added to that he feels male teenagers need role models who will motivate them positively.
“My pageant experience was rewarding,” he said. “I’ve learnt so much and realised the importance of diversity and coping with it.” The pageant entailed many events, but the Cotillion, which included ballroom dancing was for him, an experience that was remarkable and unforgettable. He enjoyed every moment of it.
The contestants were involved also in fund-raising activities which included various sales and served to develop their marketing abilities. He said this experience too was enjoyable. Delroy is a natural sciences student so for him, the intelligence interview was a breeze, since the focus was global warming; it was his comfort zone.
Rehearsals, he said, brought out both the best and worst in him. “There were certain areas I had to build on in preparing for the pageant. It was tough, but I did it,” he said.
Unlike other pageants, the Mr and Miss Guyana Talented Teen is one where the scores earned throughout are recorded and the highest scoring teen wins. Having already aced the intelligence segment, Delroy knew he had to “bring it from as early as the introduction [on pageant night], since it’s there that you leave an impact on the audience and they’ll be able to remember you. I did not find the introduction to be difficult at all because the best person to tell others about yourself is you. That was quite simple to do since I have the task of living with myself every day so [saying] who I am as individual just flowed for me.”
The crowd’s reaction he recalled was very welcoming. “They enjoyed it and this was evident in their loud applause and screaming…. The swimwear segment was also very fun. This was so because it allowed me to show off my flexible side and I didn’t take myself too seriously, since it was all about enjoyment and the crowd reacted well to that as well.”
His talent piece, “Celebrate Guyana” was composed with the intention of showcasing Guyana’s unique features and rich culture and this to him required a lot of application, since there was so much to say in three minutes.
The final question, like the interview, was in his comfort zone because global warming is a topic that he would have studied thoroughly as a science oriented student.
Delroy intends to use the Mr Guyana Talented Teen title as an avenue to promote youth empowerment and do a lot of charity and voluntary work because he believes that the more you give the more you will receive. It is also his belief that youth need encouragement to foster a sense of courage and confidence.
Asked to give a message to males who want to venture into pageantry but hesitate because of the stereotyping, he said they should be the change that they want to see. “If you want to see male pageantry become more widely accepted then be the one to make a difference,” Delroy advised. “Pageantry empowers and celebrates intelligence and abilities, so have no fear, follow your dreams.”
Delroy’s social life entails spending time with close friends and visiting places of interest and his hobbies include interacting, socialising and listening to Soca music. He sees himself doing a lot of voluntary work and empowerment programmess during and after his reign. “I see myself as an individual who can impact positively on the lives of others,” he said.
As an aspiring general surgeon his future plans aim at saving lives and sharing love with family and friends.
Delroy attended Christ Church Secondary School and St Roses High. He was awarded the best graduating athletic student of Christ Church Secondary, where he gained 12 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate
passes with recognition for being a competent science student.
Delroy noted that he admires United States President Barack Obama, who in his opinion portrays strength and determination and he emulates him as these are the qualities he uses in character
building.
