Cynthia Dookie a multifaceted Ms Global 2017
Published:Sunday | September 17, 2017 | 12:00 AMJanet Silvera
WESTERN BUREAU:
Twenty-three-year-old Guyanese national Cynthia Dookie received stiff competition from Annie Newball of San Andres and Djennicia Francis of Trinidad, but emerged the 2017 Miss Global International at the coronation show recently at the RIU Montego Bay.
Her victory was a first for Guyana, which entered a contestant for the last six years.
However, Dookie, who is employed at the Audit Office of Guyana and is currently pursuing a degree in human resources management, had no difficulty winning the 'Most Aware' sectional prize.
Dookie spent her early years on the eastern coast in the Guyanese countryside called Mahaicony, living with her parents Nafeiza Sadik and David Dookie. After her parents separated, Dookie lived with her father until his tragic death when she was nine years old.
"This took a serious toll on my psyche, It was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through in life. My dad passed two days after my birthday," she told The Gleaner.
"My father was like my life. He took care of me in every way possible. When he died, it was more of me feeling alone. I had to pick myself up from that."
Dookie maintains a close relationship with her paternal grandmother, Arleen Rodriquez, who helped to mould her when Dookie's mother migrated to the United States.
An outspoken Dookie said she did not allow anything to stop her in life. "I excelled at my studies and extra-curricular activities. And when I started working, I was hired as a confidential secretary at Office of the President, Bharrat Jagdeo," she said.
PASSIONATE COOK
Adventurous and outgoing, Cynthia enjoys travelling to new places, experiencing rich and diverse cultures first-hand, reading and outdoor activities, such as camping, exercising, and cooking, which is definitely a passion of hers.
When The Gleaner spoke with Dookie in Guyana yesterday, she was busy preparing jerked chicken, vegetable fried rice and baked lasagne for her 63 year-old grandmother.
"Cooking relaxes me. I have a pretty hectic life with my two jobs and I study, so sometimes I just come home and go into the kitchen to prepare something scrumptious, whether it be baked goods or a formal meal for my family," she said.
Dookie is a renowned fitness trainer at Fit Rex Gym in Georgetown, where she resides. In her off hours she trains in judo, Brazilian ju-jitsu and other forms of martial arts. She follows mixed martial arts competitions in her down time, as well as basketball.
"I am an avid Cavalier fan, because I love, respect and admire LeBron James, who has had a squeaky clean reputation over the years, and he is also a humanitarian who gives back to the society," she said.