A crowd favourite from the word ‘go’, the Gemini-born contender, who took as her platform ‘The Plight of the Street Children’, won the title hands down from a field of eight, leaving fellow social science undergrads, Genevieve Blackman, Christa Simmons and Jessica Chand to trail at second and third and fourth places respectively.

Looking the picture of elegance in an embossed ‘lemonish’ evening gown accented by a three-stringed imitation pearl choker and other matching accessories, and with her hair swept high like the main character in the film, ‘My Fair Lady’, De Costa, who was sponsored by Nigel’s Supermarket, also took the prizes for ‘Miss Popularity’; ‘Best Gown’; and ‘Best Hair-style’.

Thandi McAllister, who is no stranger to beauty pageants and was about the only contestant who showed she had any talent worth speaking of, was awarded the prize for ‘Best Smile’.

The prize for ‘Best Talent’ went instead to Delegate Number Eight, Jessica Chand, who, like Simmons, was a crowd favourite.

Blackman, who could be seen sweating profusely when it came her turn to answer the final question, was adjudged ‘Miss Congeniality’. Her prize for placing second in the contest will include a round-trip to New York, compliments of North American Airlines.

Besides the car, the donation of which is a precedent set by King Solomon’s Shipping in the annals of local pageantry, De Costa will also receive a year’s tuition to continue pursuing her Law studies, and an unspecified quantity of jewellery, compliments of King’s Jewellery World.

Judges this year were former Capitol News news anchor Andrea Teekasingh; businesswoman and current Administrative Officer of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Ms Nadia Jabour; Ms Gwen Williams, who besides having a strong background in theatre also comes with years of experience training girls for the Miss Guyana-UK pageant; entrepreneur and coordinator/promoter of the Miss African Heritage pageant, Mr. Lorrie Alexander; Mr. Carl Baptiste, Managing Director of Pharmagen Enterprises; and Mr. Yale Goring, Head of Management and Information Systems Unit at the Ministry of Finance and Sports Personality of the Year 2002.