PAGEANT veteran Zena Bland was at it again this month and last Saturday copped the First Runner-Up spot in the Miss United Nations 2018 pageant, held in Kingston, Jamaica.
The 26-year-old UK-based Guyanese finished behind Miss United Nations Asia, Khuahhish Sharma, a fitness instructor and Bland was both shocked and honoured by the placement and the chance to represent her country.

“Overall I feel very proud and accomplished to have represented my beautiful country Guyana on the international stage,” Bland commented in an exclusive interview with The Buzz. “I enjoyed the sister and brotherhood of the pageant the most; meeting men and women from across the globe; learning their cultures; tasting their national dishes and seeing their wonderful traditional wear. I feel like I’ve had a mini trip around the world and I’m more of a rounded individual now.”

Held annually since 2010, the Miss United Nations pageant is one that came into being with the objective of identifying and showcasing “the world’s best tourism-cause ambassadors; those who have the skills, talents and personalities best suited to promote their respective countries in furtherance of tourism, international goodwill and cultural harmony.”
It is also aimed at supporting environmental protection via strategised programmes and features both queen and king sections.

For the women, the pageant entailed cultural wear, high fashion wear, evening wear and two interview categories, that the delegates were evaluated and promoted based on. For Bland, it was the evening wear segment that really gave her an opportunity to sparkle, thanks to the massive preparation and work she got to put in.

“For me, evening wear was the easiest segment. After receiving catwalk coaching from Alicia Bess in Guyana and Reuben Joseph in London, I walked confidently and was able to shine inside and out,” Bland said.

However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
“The interview segments were challenging because I didn’t expect them. I wouldn’t say they were difficult because I am always my authentic self. The challenging part was overcoming my anxiety because I know how important the interviews are,” she explained.
This was Bland’s fourth time competing in a pageant. Starting in 2012, she was a Miss Guyana UK contestant, taking First Runner-Up. In 2014, she competed again in the pageant and went on to take the title.

In 2016, she tried her hand at the Miss Universe Guyana pageant, finishing third runner-up. And while she was considering hanging up her sash and leaving her pageant days behind her after this Miss United Nations, as fate would have it, the offers are still coming in.

“Initially Miss United Nations 2018 was my last pageant. However, following my performance on coronation night, one of the judges approached me and asked if I would be interested in representing Guyana in another international pageant. This is still to be confirmed,” she stated.