22-Y-O Teacher Is Miss Portland Festival Queen
Twenty-two-year-old Sashanique Beckford is Portland Festival Queen 2023. Basking in the glory of her win, she said she was confident she would have won the crown. On Sunday morning, hours after the show she told the North Coast Times “I am overwhelmed.”
She was crowned from a field of 10 at Port Antonio High School in the Portland capital, Saturday night, June 24. The competition is run by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC).
The first runner-up is 19-year-old Makalia Benjamin, Miss Folly Ruins, a student at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Kingston. The second runner-up is 25-year-old entrepreneur, Miss Reach Falls, Nattanya Palmer. Miss Benjamin won the award for ‘Best Performance’ (for her talent piece) and Miss Palmer won for being ‘Most Poised.’
Sashanique Beckford who wore the sash, Miss Blue Lagoon, won two sectional awards on the way to being crowned queen. She took home some $80,000 in cash and prizes. She won the award as ‘Most Active in the Community’ and ‘Most Culturally Aware’. Born in Ginger Hill in the Rio Grande Valley she is involved in a raft of groups and activities in the community including the Ginger Hill SDA Pathfinder group, the Outreach programme of the church; the Ginger Hill Neighbourhood Watch, and providing free private tutoring.
Now a teacher at Alpha Primary in Kingston, Miss Beckford participated in the required competition training through online platforms and travelled to the parish at weekends for face-to-face sessions, with other contestants. Miss Beckford said she felt frustrated and flustered at times leading up to the competition because she didn’t get all the assistance she thought she could from other contestants. “But when something belongs to you, obstacles will come in the way,” she told the North Coast Times. She said she felt confident that she could win.
The Portland Queen is looking ahead to the National Festival Queen competition in July and rates her chances as good. “I am looking forward to a good competition, she said.
(Top Five, before the Coronation)
The patrons that packed the Port Antonio High School Auditorium were in for a treat with the show supporting the contest. Happy Grove High School teacher, Saxophonist Collington Davis serenaded the ladies. Two national finalists in the JCDC’s music competition put in good performances: they were Jonnelle Scott and Timona Lowe.
Emcee was Ryan Bailey.
Last year’s Queen, Rene Philbaud placed the crown on the head of Miss Beckford to loud cheers from the audience.
Manager for JCDC Portland Orton Manahan was pleased with the competition and thankful to his team. He said the contest was competitive and as the training and preparation progressed up to the show. improvements could be seen in all areas of the behaviour and personality of the contestants.
He thanked lead trainer Dorette Thaxter, former national trainer for the competition, for her work with the Portland girls. He said the assistance of personnel from the JCDC head office was invaluable including in producing the show.
Among the major local sponsors were” Hotel Tim Bamboo, Portland Cooperative Credit Union and Councillors Wayne McKenzie and Dexter Rowlands.
