The newly crowned Miss St. Thomas Festival Queen, Kendene Barrett, says she is on a mission to promote her parish as the ‘Shining Star in The East.”  The 25-year-old Public Health Inspector who hails from the community of East Prospect topped a field of nine contestants to claim the title at the Coronation held on Saturday, June 10 at Colonel’s Cove.

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Barrett says she is committed to shifting the focus to the positives of her parish. She said, “During my reign, I hope to shift the narrative of St. Thomas from being the ‘forgotten parish’ to being the ‘shining star in the east’. St. Thomas has a lot to offer in culture, natural resources and attractions. I hope to bring this to the forefront of people’s minds when they think of the parish”.

 

Asked what she felt gave her the edge in taking the crown, Barrett said, “They say experience teaches wisdom and considering that I was the eldest in the competition that may have proven this saying to be correct.”

 

Elated Barrett shared that she had an initial surge of euphoria after realizing that she had won all of the sectional prizes. This gave way to a feeling of awe as she thought about how God had been and continues to be good to her. “I entered the competition to step out of my comfort zone, build character, and be a ray of hope for young ladies of St. Thomas and Jamaica”, she continued.

 

In addition to being crowned parish queen, Barrett also copped all the sectional prizes ----

Most Poised, Best Performer, Most Active in the Community, Most Congenial, Most Active in the Community, Most Culturally Aware, and Most Popular on Social Media.  Barrett who wore the sash of Intown Medical Centre and Optical Service, exuded confidence all night.

Barrett will go on to compete in the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition, which is one of the highlights of the Jamaica 61 celebrations. The first runner-up to Barrett, was 19-year-old Georgielin Davis, a Customer Service Agent, while the second runner-up was 22- year -old Roxanne Douglas.

 

The competition which is being staged under the theme, "The Jamaican Woman: Strong, Dignified and Creative" is organized by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) as part of its annual Independence celebrations.