Beauties exude loads of confidence

Miss Guyana/Universe
Beauties exude loads of confidence By Samantha Alleyne
Stabroek News
February 10, 2003

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A combination of beauty, brains and loads of confidence are the ingredients for a winning Miss Guyana/Universe recipe. And the three latest beauties we spoke to seem to have all you need to wear that coveted crown.

First up is a beautiful 18-year-old teacher from Phoenix Park, West Bank Demarara, Tenesha Patrick.

Patrick has a charming smile and appears to be an easy-going teenager who is bent on following in her father's footsteps and making teaching her career.

At 5 ft 5" and weighing 118 pounds, Patrick could be described as having the perfect size for a beauty pageant.

She was a former student of the Charlestown Secondary School and is now teaching Integrated Science and reading at St Mary's High School.

She proudly declares that she is the baby of her family, the last of three children. She was the first runner-up in last year's Miss West Bank Beauty pageant.

This beauty said she had always had her eyes on the Miss Guyana/Universe crown and had actually applied last year but was refused entry because of her age.

Her platform is racial discrimination and according to Patrick she chose that topic "because right now that is dividing Guyana, not only Guyana but most of the world. And due to the crime situation here in Guyana it is being covered up but I think that is a major cause of the crime situation...."

Patrick says she plans on teaching the different races that they are all one and as she pointed out she has ample opportunity to achieve this in her career as a teacher.

Who is Tenesha? "Well Tenesha is a loving caring and friendly person. I like going out, reading and meeting interested persons. And I like spending time with my family and friends."

She advises youths to "stay focused, reach for your goals, and not because somebody might look different maybe their complexion might be different from yours, we are all one and everybody should be treated equally."

Up next is Marita Persaud and she is definitely petite, standing at 5 ft 2" and weighing 96 lbs!

She is no stranger to pageant fans as her beautiful face captivated the judges at last year's Miss Guyana/World pageant and they awarded her the second runner-up position.

The 22-year-old beauty hails all the way from the Pomeroon but she is presently living in Georgetown where she is working at North American Fire & General Insurance Co.

Prior to last year, Persaud had never competed in a pageant before. Asked why she felt she should try again she said, "Why not? I mean I had a ball the last time and unfortunately I did not win the crown. Anyway I am here to try for it again and hoping this time I would do the job. And while I am here for the crown I am also having fun meeting new people....."

HIV/AIDS is the platform chosen by this beauty and she says, "most of the persons affected are people between the ages of 15 and 35. That is the age when everybody is trying to fulfill their dreams and trying to make something of themselves. If we all die of AIDS then we wouldn't have a future." She feels that young people are not taking it seriously and do not seem to understand that "HIV nah respect no one."

She would be targeting the educational system and giving talks to young people on the virus.

"Marita Persaud is smart, sexy, beautiful and one hundred per cent quality Guyanese." She advises youths to follow their dreams and take their education seriously.

And our third contestant is also experienced when it comes to pageants, beautiful Danielle McIntyre was also a contestant in last year's Miss Guyana/World.

McIntyre, is a 22-year-old Lindener and employed as an advertising clerk in the Stabroek News Linden branch but has plans to pursue a degree in computer science at the University of Guyana come September.

She was also a contestant in the Miss Linden Town Day pageant where she won the second runner-up position and due to the fact that the queen and the first runner-up have migrated she now holds the title. In last year's national pageant she copped the fourth runner-up pageant.

She feels that with the experience she gained from the Miss Guyana/World pageant she has a very good chance of wearing the crown. "I think that I can be a good ambassador for Guyana I want my name to be written down in history. I think using what I gained from the last pageant will do me great."

Her platform is peer pressure, since according to her everyday youths find it hard to deal with the pressure of their peers even though succumbing might lead them into trouble.

That was her platform through all the pageants she has taken part in and she has been visiting schools and talking to youths.

And who is Danielle Mc Intyre?

"Danielle Mc Intyre is a loving, humble, intelligent, God-fearing and ambitious, not forgetting attractive young lady. That sums it up."

This beauty weighs 101 lbs and stands 5 ft 7" tall. "For certain I will be in the top five, that is for certain but I don't want to jump the gun and say I am going to win because anything can happen...."