LIKE many young people, Christal De Jesus is one of the many Guyanese who is proud of Guyana’s newest economic accomplishment, the production of oil and as one of the most desired countries to visit in the Caribbean and the number one destination for eco-tourism
De Jesus made sure to highlight Guyana and all its glory at the recent ‘Miss Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant’ held in St. Kitts at the island’s Marriott Resort and Royal Beach Casino December 31, 2019.

Charming the judges and other contestants with her beauty and intelligence, De Jesus used the given platform to remind the entire Caribbean how rich and beautiful our beloved nation is.

“The theme for this year’s pageant was pride, being proud of an event that occurred in the country over the last year that’s why we choose to speak about the newly discovered oil and also Guyana being deemed the number one eco-tourism destination in the world,” De Jesus stated.

She further stated that the theme was represented through a theatrical performance and a cultural costume designed by a local Guyanese designer, Mwanza Glenn.
“ The costume depicted Guyana’s rich El Dorado; the head piece represented the battel that is used to refine the gold and the trail represented Guyana’s pristine waterfalls, the sequins for its rich diversity of its flora and fauna and the green decorations represented it’s undiscovered rainforest,” De Jesus stated.

De Jesus stated that, she was grateful for the opportunity to be an ambassador for her country and to share with neighbouring Caribbean countries what Guyana, the land of many waters, had to offer since the country did not have a representative at the pageant for over two years.

“Overall the experience was great, it was my first time travelling so I was anxious and excited every day because every day was something new, going to the beaches, the beautiful scenery, meeting persons in the town. I also met fellow Guyanese and they were so happy to see a representative from Guyana after such a long time. There were also dinners and a lunch hosted by the governor general, the senator and they were all nice people ….it was a great opportunity also to experience the different cultures of 10 different countries,” she stated.

Although De Jesus did not place in the top three positions of the ‘Miss Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant’ she is still Guyana’s Queen, having won the Region Four ‘Teen with a purpose’ pageant in October 2019.

The 17-year-old aspiring nurse, who is also an activist for body positivity told the Guyana Chronicle that she will continue to represent Guyana in whatever she does and will continue to be an inspiration for younger girls.

However, she will give pageantry a break for now and focus on her studies, “I’m still in Nursing school so my focus is going to be there… but I would like to continue being a role model to other girls and also for them to have similar opportunity and great experience that I had,” she stated.

De Jesus contested in the 40th edition of the annual Haynes Smith Miss Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant in St. Kitts where Ms. Saint Lucia, Kersandra Edwards, was crowned the 2019 queen.