Renowned pageant coach Pamela Dillon talks about the Legacy and Impact of the Miss Guyana Talented Teen pageant.

PAGEANTRY is more than what meets the eye. From vigorous training to perfecting walks, poise, and speech, to the pressure of being an ambassador for many, pageantry is as complex as it is beautiful. Among the highlights of Guyana’s pageantry scene is the Miss Guyana Talented Teen Pageant. Developed by pageantry visionary Pamela Dillon, Miss Guyana Talented Teen gives young women from across Guyana the opportunity to take their first graceful steps onto the stage. In an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine, Dillon shared her vision for Miss Guyana Talented Teen 2025, the work happening behind the scenes, and why pageantry is more than meets the eye, but also a platform filled with opportunities.

When she returned home to Guyana in the late 1980s, Dillon did not set out to create the Miss Guyana Talented Teen Pageant or what is now the well-known pageant coaching house, Simpli Royal. She initially opened a nail spa, using skills she had acquired overseas. While running the modest business, called Fantasy Nails, Dillon found herself with a front-row seat to the harsh criticism faced by young women in pageantry. This inspired her to create a training ground for young contestants, a move that eventually gave rise to the Miss Guyana Talented Teen pageant.

As Dillon recalled in her interview with Pepperpot Magazine, “It was always a crowd of women; beauty queens, people applying for pageants, performers, high society ladies, working women, they all converged there. And I used to notice a lot of criticism for pageant girls. People always thought: she’s a pageant girl, she should have worn this, she should have done that. I thought, if these girls were prepped before they went public, if they were prepared in a way that made them appealing to the eyes, made them sound like committed community leaders, empowered them, they would do better. They wouldn’t have to fend off criticism plus compete. So, I thought it was a good place to start by training.”

Apart from a few years of hiatus, the Miss Guyana Talented Teen Pageant has captivated audiences since its launch in 2000, and this year is no different. Dillon and her diverse team, including former queens, are working to make the 2025 event memorable, with screenings and planning already underway for the November show. As she explained, her team is seeking young women who possess both beauty and personality. “We did our first screening last Friday, so we have a worthy six, and we’re doing another screening this Friday. We want between 10 to 12 girls; that’s a good number for production. They have to have a personality,” Dillon shared.

But MGTT is about more than appearances. A central pillar of the pageant is self-development, particularly in education. “Wherever contestants are on the education spectrum, we pay attention to that. For instance, if you’ve done CXCs, if you’re at UG, if you’ve entered the world of work, as long as you’re a teenager, you have talent in the performing arts, and you have a bit of personality, we work with you,” she explained. “Because we know they’re still teenagers and they could use a hand up. The training is important, it’s not just for the production, it’s about empowering the young ladies who pass through, hopefully giving them guidance in how they present themselves.”

Speaking about the lasting impact of pageantry, Dillon said it is an experience that forever changes participants. “The girls that compete are never the same. They come out much better. Whether it’s a beauty pageant; which some people feel all pageants are, beauty has to do with inner beauty, and I’d say inner beauty with outer glow. But if a young lady is focusing on herself, what is she giving? That’s the thing,” she said. She emphasised that sacrifice is a necessary part of the journey. “You want a crown? What are you giving to get it? You have to give up your time, you have to focus, you have to present yourself properly. Forget the talent, we’re talking beauty queen.”

In many ways, ventures like Miss Guyana Talented Teen act as catalysts for development. As Dillon noted, pageantry prompts both contestants and audiences to look beyond beauty and consider what else these young women have to offer, ultimately creating confident, empowered leaders with a strong sense of self. “If you’re blessed with features that are attractive, if you know how to put yourself together, when you get the attention of the general public you have to hold that attention by your inner focus, by what you say, and how it reflects the true being of the beautiful girl they’re looking at. That’s the mandate; that’s what a lot of girls strive for. We could do more work. We have pageants that need more focus on what the producer is presenting,” she stated.

Looking at Guyana’s pageantry field as a whole, Dillon believes more could be done to support the art form better. Appealing to both producers and designers, she emphasised that pageantry should always be held to the highest standards. This emphasis is why her team is already working months in advance for this year’s event. “We’ve come back refreshed and relaxed, ready to explore new possibilities, and we’re holding our girls to that standard. We are going to make them work for the attention they will be given, and we’re looking to fill the National Cultural Centre,” Dillon said.

To step up their game and deliver a “wow factor,” Dillon and her team have planned a number of activities, from a motorcade to ballroom dancing. “We’re working on giving a terrific product because we do have competition. When we first started, there was only one teen pageant, Miss Guyana Talented Teen. Now, several people who were inspired by that are doing great work in pageantry. So, we have to raise the bar to keep everybody on their toes,” Dillon said.

As the legacy of Miss Guyana Talented Teen continues, Dillon says she is excited about the franchise’s future. A renowned veteran in her field, she admits she is preparing to pass on the mantle and work more in an advisory capacity. “I have it in brain power and I have it in expertise, and I make suggestions. But as I’m making suggestions, the younger ones are making better suggestions. So we’re on the same page,” she shared. Her hopes for the future are simple: “I think the legacy I would like to leave is that Simpli Royal is one of the better pageant houses, whether it’s headed by Pamela Dillon or a team of young, vibrant people.”