Miss SVG 2007 - Melissa Yorke
Becoming Miss St. Vincent and the Grenadines was a childhood dream that was realized on June 2nd 2007. Standing on the stage, looking out onto the crowd, wearing that coveted crown on my head, was indeed one of the proudest and most fulfilling moments of my life. My most treasured possession however, is not the crown I proudly display, it is ironically the experiences and people I met on my year long journey to that special night.
A New Sense of Purpose
Participating in a beauty pageant is an extremely rigorous and underestimated process. I however knew that in order for me to be successful at this endeavor, I had to begin training much earlier than the normal four or five months, a lesson I learned from my previous experience as Ms. SVG Talented Teen in 1999.
To prepare I ensured I had the right look, wardrobe, talent and under went extensive training for stage presence and interview. The end result was not only winning, but I also developed a better sense of who I was and what I wanted to accomplish with my life. I had the opportunity to meet and develop new friendships with persons I look up to and respect. The road to becoming Miss SVG 2007 allowed me to became a much more focused, disciplined individual with a renewed sense of purpose.
Pageantry - Platform for Personal Development
My experience has motivated me to encourage young ladies to get involved in pageantry. I would love for them to become involved, not for the glitz and glamor of it, but because of the extraordinary personal development to be had from the experience and the opportunities that exist from not only winning, but being a participant as well. I also caution them to take the process seriously, to ensure that they are prepared for every aspect of the competition both on and off the stage. This along with lots of hard work are what I believe are the keys to being a successful Contestant in any Pageant.