The newly crowned Miss St. Thomas Festival Queen, Kedene Barrett, says she is on a mission to promote her parish as the ‘Shining Star in The East.” The 25-year-old Public Health Inspector, who hails from the community of East Prospect, topped a field of nine contestants to claim the title at the Coronation held on Saturday, June 10, at Colonel’s Cove.
Asked what she felt gave her the edge in taking the crown, Barrett said, “They say experience teaches wisdom and considering that I was the eldest in the competition, that may have proven this saying to be correct.“
Elated Barrett shared that it was euphoric after realizing she had won all of the sectional prizes. This gave way to feeling awe as she thought about how God had been and continues to be good to her. “I entered the competition to step out of my comfort zone, build character, and be a ray of hope for young ladies of St. Thomas and Jamaica“, she continued.
Shifting the Focus
Barrett committed to shifting the focus to the positives of her parish. She said, “During my reign, I hope to shift the narrative of St. Thomas from being the ‘forgotten parish’ to being the ‘shining star in the east’. St. Thomas has a lot to offer in culture, natural resources and attractions. I hope to bring this to the forefront of people’s minds when they think of the parish“.
In addition to winning the parish queen crown, Barrett also copped all the sectional prizes —-
Most Poised, Best Performer, Most Active in the Community, Most Congenial, Most Culturally Aware, and Most Popular on Social Media. Barrett, who wore the sash of Intown Medical Centre and Optical Service, exuded confidence all night.
Barrett will go on to compete in the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition, a highlight of the Jamaica 61 celebrations. The first runner-up to Barrett was 19-year-old Georgielin Davis, a Customer Service Agent. The second runner-up was 22- year -old Roxanne Douglas.
The competition’s theme, “The Jamaican Woman: Strong, Dignified and Creative”, comes from the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) as part of its annual Independence celebrations.
