-at Miss Jamzone International 2011
-to prove self first in Antigua
DOWN-to-earth Miss Guyana Jamzone 2011, Jovan Wilson, is all set to represent Guyana at the Miss Jaycee Pageant in Antigua next month, and the Miss Jamzone International Pageant, billed for this August at Splashmins.
Still glowing from her win at the local leg of the latter pageant, when she carted off more than $3M in cash and prizes, the 21-year-old sat down recently to have a chat with the Guyana Chronicle.
The Jamzone pageant is not a first for Jovan, who won the Miss Angoys Avenue and Miss Berbice African Heritage pageants in 2006, and was also first Runner-up the same year at the Miss Berbice Senior High pageant. The following year copped the Miss Berbice Mash title, and took a shot at last year at Tortola’s Miss Virgin Gorda Easter Pageant.
Born in suburban Kingston north of the city, Jovan spent most of her early school days at the Sacred Heart Primary, but subsequently relocated to Berbice when she was ten to live with an aunt when her mother migrated.
This, she recalled, was a time of change for her, as the move meant a new school as well as a new home. But the transition was made somewhat easier, as her aunt’s many children were all girls, which allowed her to readily bond with her cousins while cooking, chatting and playing.
Perhaps it is due to this social environment and learning to get along with different personalities that led to her capturing the ‘Miss Congeniality’ title among the others she was awarded at the Jamzone pageant.
She humbly admits though that the win was a surprise for her, as she felt another contestant whom she named was more deserving of the prize. But the lissom beauty, who blushes when paid a compliment, is grateful that people perceived her that way.
It was while at High School, she recalled, that she first realised her love for the arts, to the extent that she’d already begun showing quite a flair for poetry. To her school’s credit, it was the first in Berbice to offer Theatre Arts as a subject when it was introduced to the CXC curriculum back in 2006.  And though she was in the Agriculture stream, she would spend her free time with the Theatre Arts crowd. She’d also danced and participated in Mashramani competitions in high school.
The dramatic piece she used to capture the ‘Best Talent’ prize at Miss Jamzone was titled, ‘I am an African Woman’, and was reconstructed by Maxine Williams a Mash promoter in Berbice. Besides showing pride in her ethnicity and feminity, the piece also highlighted Guyana’s natural beauty and resources.
For Jovan, the piece was ideal for the occasion as she had wanted from the inception to do something that would promote Guyana, in keeping with the pageant’s touristic theme. She is greatful to Andrew Tyndall, who accompanied her on pan, after hearing and rehearsing the piece for the first time … mere hours before the pageant!
Noting the importance of sticking to the theme at every turn when competing in a pageant, Jovan said the reason she chose Storm out of the myriad female superheroes featured in the contest is because of the influence she can exert on the weather.
As for that strange final question on the night of the pageant, she readily admits that like everybody else, she didn’t see that one coming. The question at reference went something like this:
“Legend has it that a man was banished to the moon. If the man in the moon landed in your backyard, how would you entertain him?”
Thankfully, when faced with it, she made doubly sure her answer was from a tourism perspective.
Always a fan of the Jamzone pageant, Jovan said in retrospect that she somehow knew that one day she would be in the running. And the reason the event appeals to her so much is because it allows one to express their personality.
As to what makes her tick, she said she likes nothing better than spending time on the beach and in the water, and going sailing and swimming whenever she happens to be in Tortola, where her mom and two younger siblings live.
She also loves a Chinese food and music from the 90s, especially Whitney Houston and Toni Braxton, but simply abhors lying, uncleanliness and people who sit together and whisper.
Attending church is  a major part of Jovan’s life, and she was a member of the choir. A branch of the Hope Wesleyan Church is even housed under her aunt’s home.
Her social experiences having made her wise beyond her years, Jovan has a bit of advice to pass on to young women. Starting off by saying “A lot of young women don’t realize that the media is leading them astray and defining the way you should look and be,” Jovan followed through by urging that they work at building their self esteem instead, hopefully with the help of family. She firmly believes that when you help a young woman, you are in essence helping the entire community.
She is also of the belief that her pageant experience has done a lot for her own personal improvement, in that they force you to make sure that you are neat, keep updated in style and keep abreast of current affairs in your country.
With a degree in tourism, which she earned while studying in Tortola, already under her belt, Jovan has set her sights high and sees herself as Tourism Minister some day.