By Faith Greene

FOR Shanice Simon and her teen daughter, Le Shaunte, the 2023 Mother and Daughter Pageant was nothing short of unforgettable.

Shanice and Le Shaunte are the winners of the middle category of the pageant’s 30th production, which was showcased at the National Cultural Centre last month.
On the night of the pageant, this mother and daughter duo pretended that they were attending a Cruella DeVille high-end tea party, which, according to Shanice, is where all the fashion lovers meet.

Their Cruella DeVille-themed dresses were designed by local designer, Mwanza Glenn.

The simple, yet glamorous black and white outfits, completed with black hats decorated with red flowers, were perfect for the elite occasion.
The GTT Administrative Assistant told the Buzz that her friend, Yulisa, who was also a part of the pageant, convinced her to participate.

The duo’s experience was a rewarding one, according to the beaming mother, who said that her take away from it was that their bond and chemistry as mother and daughter have gotten stronger.

She shared that while she went into the pageant not expecting to win, like every other contestant, she didn’t want to lose.
After announcing that they will participate in the pageant, many persons committed to attending the pageant to show them support.

“Everybody was like, ‘we’re going to be there, we’re gonna support you.’ Persons that couldn’t be there physically, they were watching on the live stream, and it was just amazing. We had persons asking for pictures to repost us and stuff, and the Facebook link, they were sharing it. It was really, really great,” a visibly excited Shanice said.

Meanwhile, Le Shaunte said that when she heard they had won their category, she was ecstatic.
Shanice on the other hand was tense as she waited for the judges’ decision to be announced. She was still in a trance and a state of disbelief even after they were sashed.
It was when the crown was placed on her head that realisation kicked in.

When asked to leave some inspiring words for future participants, the mother and daughter duo urged them to “be yourself.”
“We did not try to be nothing that we were not. We were just us, and we enjoyed it. We were genuine to who we really are,” Shanice said.

Le Shaunte added, “I believe the first step for this pageant isn’t signing up, it’s getting it out of your own mind, because, a lot of persons have this mental block. They’re like ‘Oh I’m not sure if I want to go’ because well, obviously you want to go in to win, but then they’re also looking at the timing and stuff like that to practise. Just get that out of your mind.”

“I would also say listen to each other because you don’t want to have a lot of bickering going on, because what tends to happen, [is] you would see you have a little fault and then let’s say your mother tells you about it and then you get upset and the whole thing is just you frowning and what’s not….So just listen to each other, and cooperate, and work through all the challenges,” the teen advised.