By Frederick Halley
CANADIAN-based Guyanese Ebony Narpatty Bridgebassey, MSc, BSc, CPAL, journalist, human rights activist, and model, has been selected to represent Guyana in the 2026 International Pageant, held worldwide through Milestones Worldwide Pageant.
The pageant is for career women with a strong educational background, and 35 delegates from several countries are participating in different categories, with first, second, and third prizes awarded in each segment.
Ebony grew up in Berbice, doing climate change research on Number 63 Beach, helping her parents with their home resort, Sunsplash, at the time (2000s), and was fiercely dedicated to her schooling.
She attended Tagore Memorial Secondary School, Scottsburg Private School, then Line Path Secondary. She later served as valedictorian of Roadside Baptist Church (2006), with distinctions in Computer Studies, Advanced Maths, and English. She took some time off to help the family business, then completed her studies before volunteering for the City of Toronto (six years) while attending York University, where she graduated with a credit in her postgraduate degree certificate in Administration & Law.
Through an online course offered by Edinburgh Napier University in the UK – Scotland Yard, Ebony graduated from the prestigious university and earned a Master’s Degree in Business Tourism & Hospitality. She flew over last October to attend her graduation.
This year she’ll be in Egypt and, as she puts it, “representing the magical radiance of women in power, dynamic education flow and what it means to be a single educated career woman to the world, moving mountains, breaking barriers across the world, bringing girls together in unity to strive for a better education every day, which means feminist empowerment.”
Ebony, along with the other contestants, is also doing a fundraiser for girls in India to have a proper, sound educational background. She’s calling on her supporters and friends to vote for her via Narpatty & TikTok / YouTube Miss Ebony N Bridges, where you can look out for the voting link to know when to vote for Guyana.
Ebony is also aspiring to become an international court judge and is very peeved over what she described as the grave injustice being meted out over the death of her father, who was brutally murdered in 2019. Ebony and her father had a close relationship, and she recalled the good times they shared.
According to Ebony, she enjoyed a beautiful family life with her parents, including long walks on the beach with the dogs splashing in the waves. “Being the first girl growing up on 63 Beach itself, I would ride my bicycle to the roadside and catch minibuses, tapirs, hire cars to attend all my schools.”
Describing herself as an amazing role model for her community, she worked part-time at the Sunsplash Resort as a DJ, server and cashier while attending school. Her daily chores included feeding the turkeys and guard dogs, cleaning up and packing up the freezers.
Ebony hopes many others will follow in her footsteps. She’s calling on her fellow womenfolk to “Aim for the Stars. Be the best possible version of yourself… Don’t keep too many friends or tell people your ideas or business. Be all that you can be on this earth to help and encourage others. Love everyone, hate no one, and leave no stone unturned. Keep smiling.”
Ebony has been through a great amount of grief over the years due to her dad’s brutal passing and her sister’s sudden death recently. She is surviving with her 74-year-old mother. They visit Sunsplash once a year, and she plans to use her education to enhance tourism and hospitality and attract guests back to the resort.
She expressed sincere thanks to her parents for everything in life, pointing out that without them she wouldn’t be anything she is today.
Ebony will display a phoenix from the ashes, which represents her life, what she’s been through, and what she’s becoming. She will also be presenting her climate change song finally.
Ebony’s recent years of modelling began with the High School Sari Pageant, followed by taking part in Style Me Magazine online via Sir Elton John’s platform, bringing her into the top 10. She also loves to sing, draw, write on the side and speak at public forums.
