A huge smile plastered on her face, Kayshell Jennings gracefully strutted across the stage of the National Cultural Centre to ecstatic cheers from the crowd, taking her first walk as this year’s Miss Emancipation Queen.
Caught by surprise even though it was her objective, Kayshell, a newcomer to pageantry, stood on the stage for approximately 30 seconds, in her Ghanian Gold House of Pearson dress, before realising she was the new queen.
“It was so funny. I had no idea I [had] won. I was just standing there for a good 30 seconds with a look of okay on my face,” she said in an interview with The Scene.
“It was seeing my family and friends running down the aisles to the stage that brought things into perspective,” she later added.
The name of the first runner-up, Chaunté Eastman was announced before Kayshell was declared queen. The second runner-up was Donelle Harvey and the third runner-up was Sharmanie Nelson.
A Linden beauty, Kayshell edged out six other contestants to become a crowd favourite and win the crown. And almost a week after being crowned, she is still in awe, accepting best wishes, positive messages and feedback from the public with open arms.
She told The Scene that she was motivated to compete in this year’s pageant to secure the first prize, which is a scholarship at the Georgetown American University. Kayshell is currently pursuing medical studies at the university and the scholarship will greatly assist in covering her tuition.
Noting that she felt comfortable being in this pageant since it did not include a swimwear segment, she said she was elated to participate.
“This pageant is one with a difference. It did not include a swimwear segment and I felt comfortable with that because it was more of a showcase of the intelligence and beauty of African Guyanese women… I think that was really a motivator for me,” she explained before disclosing she had thought to herself, “if I win this, it’s great and also I can showcase not only my beauty but my intelligence and personality…”
While the pageant was not designed to have a platform to address social issues, the contestants were required to develop business projects as a means of empowerment.
Drawing from her experiences of assisting her mom in the promotion of her grassroots business, Kayshell said in her introduction, she promoted a business consultancy proposal. In her pitch, she spoke of how technology can assist grassroot businesses to bloom into sustainable ventures.
Her participation in the pageant can be best described as exhilarating as she went through the waves of nervousness, anxiety and excitement like any other contestant.
From the preparation to the final night to being crowned Miss Emancipation, Kayshell pushed herself to achieve her goal.
The fun and bubbly medical student recalled that preparing for the pageant was interesting as she had to battle her school and work commitments along with rehearsals. However, with most rehearsals done on the weekends, she said, she was able to have some balance in her life during that period.
“… It allowed for me to go to my clinical rotations during the week and on Saturdays we would meet and go through the routine. I wasn’t a pageant girl, so I spent a lot of time rehearsing and learning pageant walk,” she explained.
Kayshell said during rehearsals she was able to build community and network with the other contestants. Her participation also exposed her to many social activities making the entire experience fun.
She recalled the night was mixed with emotions, but her team of supporters, both in the crowd and backstage got her through it.
“I was able to execute the way I had it in my mind.You know final night is the night of execution so I finally got the chance to execute, so that was great. My team ensured I moved through each segment seamlessly, helping me change wardrobe and giving me encouragement to fight off the nerves and anxiety,” she added.
But while that helped as she transitioned into the different segments, she related that the announcement of the final four was “nerve-racking.” In her mind, she was confident she did her best but there was some doubt lingering as to whether she had made it.
“I was like, oh my goodness did I make it? I knew that I really gave it my all and I would have been in the top four…” she said.
Asked about her most memorable experience in the journey to the crown, she, without hesitation, said the winning moment.
“My winning the pageant is the most memorable. I will be able to tell my children that. I am the first in my entire family to be a pageant queen… The photos of me not realising I won are hilarious… I am still laughing. I was so blank and clueless…,” she said with a chuckle.
Since her win, many of her supporters have been directing her to compete in other beauty pageants. But the jury on this is still out.
Asked if she would consider it, she chuckled and said, “When I signed up for this one, I said it was my first and definitely last. Maybe Miss World… There are no limits, there are no boundaries, only legacies. I can do anything I can put my mind to…”
Kayshell said while she is known as a live wire and an individual who is passionate and bold, winning the crown was not a one-woman journey. She thanked her entire team, family members and public supporters for their contribution towards her achievement.
Each of the contestants, hailing from different parts of Guyana, was given the opportunity to showcase their intelligence, elegance and appreciation of African culture. The other contestants were Shauntaé Washington, Ackila Smith, and Runessa Williams. The pageant, now in its tenth year, returned physically after a two-year hiatus and contestants had been in training since May. During that time they participated in several seminars on empowerment and African heritage. The question and answer segment was based on lessons from African heritage while the final question touched on the sociopolitics and economics of the country.
