Miss Portland Festival Queen on a mission to inspire

When 22-year-old Renae Thibaud won the Miss Portland Festival Queen competition on June 25, little did she know that her success would restore some level of hope for other young ladies living in Long Bay, an area which is regarded as one of the most depressed communities in eastern Portland.

Since news emerged that one of their own won the coveted title, community residents in Long Bay have been echoing congratulations to the student/farmer, whose victory is unprecedented, especially for an area where economic opportunities is not only lacking, but also where unemployment is at its highest.

Thibaud, who spoke to The Gleaner, said that her accomplishment now opens the door for other females in Long Bay to take that bold step in believing in themselves and to adopt a positive attitude in pursuing their goals.

“I am really feeling great about the competition itself, but more so the fact that I am the first to have won a Portland Festival Queen title for my community of Long Bay, “ she said.

“Long Bay is a peaceful and scenic community with many beaches. This community is underdeveloped; however, it has a lot of potential. Since I was crowned Portland Festival Queen, I have been hailed as queen in my community. There are some girls that I mentor and I have made it abundantly clear to them that when they get older they, too, will be engaged in a somewhat similar competition so as to gain that awesome experience.

“During my tenure as Portland Festival Queen, I will seek to undertake or initiate the process of setting up a skills training centre for young men, who just need an opportunity to harvest their skills, so as to make themselves useful. As it is now, what is needed is to provide them with the resources and opportunity to certify their skills. I’m already looking forward to the grand final in Kingston slated for August, “she added.

Thibaud, who currently holds a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science, is a student at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) at Passley Gardens, and she has expressed confidence that she will do well in the national competition.

The student/farmer, who wore the sash ‘Miss Blue Lagoon’, won the Portland Festival Queen competition, which was held on Saturday, June 25, at the Port Antonio High School after outshining four other ladies in front of a capacity crowd.

Second place (1st runner-up) went to Micha Hamilton, contestant number one, wearing the sash ‘Miss Rio Grande River’, while third place (2nd runner-up) went to contestant number two, Brianna Brown, wearing the sash ‘Miss Somerset Falls’.

In addition to winning the Portland Festival Queen competition, Thibaud also won sectional prizes, including Most Poised, for which she received a trophy; and Most Culturally Aware, for which she received a cash prize of $10,000 and a trophy. She also won for herself a cash prize of $60,000 as winner of the competition.

And Hamilton, who is the 1st runner-up (2nd place), is a grade 13 (sixth form) student at Titchfield High School. She won sectional prizes, including Most Involved in the Community, for which she received a trophy and $10,000; and Most Popular on Social Media, for which she was awarded a trophy, and $40,000 for finishing second in the competition.

editorial@gleanerjm.com