For the second time in as many years, an attorney will represent the parish of Westmoreland in the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition.
This, as 28-year-old Shanique Sommerville from the community of Peggy Barry in Grange Hill, was chosen as the parish's representative following a coronation showcase held at the Sean Lavery Faith Hall in Savanna-la-Mar on Sunday, June 14.
Sommerville, who wore the sash Miss Western Ice Cream Depot, also captured four of the six sectional awards, taking home prizes for Most Active in the Community, Most Poised, Most Culturally Aware and Most Popular on Social Media.
Like her predecessor, the new queen plans to use her legal background to serve Westmoreland during her reign. Her project, Rights and Resilience Westmoreland, will focus on educating residents on everyday legal matters such as traffic offences, wills and property ownership, while promoting mental wellness in communities still recovering from Hurricane Melissa.
"My project is Rights and Resilience Westmoreland. It is a two-pronged initiative that will use legal literacy and wellness to build a safer Westmoreland," she explained. "Many Westmorelandites don't know their rights. We need to be more informed so that we can access the justice system the way it is intended to work."
Drawing on her experiences within the justice system, Sommerville noted that many Jamaicans struggle to navigate issues relating to traffic matters, property ownership and the importance of having a valid will. "I have seen situations where families are left struggling because a loved one passed away without a will, or where people occupy property for years without understanding the proper legal processes. These are issues that affect everyday Jamaicans, and education can make a real difference," she said.
She noted that witnessing the challenges faced by residents following Hurricane Melissa reinforced her belief that communities need both information and emotional support to recover and thrive. "People needed support in different ways. Yes, they need to understand their rights, but they also need encouragement, resources and spaces to heal," she added.
Hearing her name announced as the winner was particularly meaningful as she balanced her duties as a Clerk of Courts at the Corporate Area Traffic Court, chaired the Luminaria Ceremony for the Jamaica Cancer Society's Relay for Life event and travelled between Kingston and Westmoreland for the Festival Queen activities. The victory was even sweeter as it came on Sommerville's second attempt at the title. "This has always been a passion of mine. It is my second time entering, so it's a win on my second time, it's an awesome feeling. I didn't want to lose again, so it's just an awesome feeling to really achieve this goal," she said.
Sommerville emerged as the winner from a field of eight contestants. Crystal Whittaker, who wore the sash Miss Royal Pharmacy, was named first runner-up and received the sectional award for Best Performance, while Manning's School student Ziyisha Walker, who represented Devmar Solar Energy, was second runner-up. The award for Most Congenial went to Shandine Perrin, Miss C&W J Co-operative Credit Union.
Sommerville will join 12 other parish queens (Kingston and St. Andrew has one representative) for the promote Miss Jamaica Festival Queen national coronation, which will be held inside the Independence Village at the National Stadium Complex in St. Andrew on Saturday, August 1.
