On Saturday, two young ladies will compete for the chance to become the next St. Thomas Carnival Ambassadorial Queen, following a long line of Carnival royalties that spans more than half a century.
Ry’Dania Ciniza Molyneaux, contestant number one, is a 17-year-old junior attending the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School. Arliesha Carjahn Paul, contestant number two, is 21 years old and attends the University of the Virgin Islands.
“I was inspired to compete for the St. Thomas Carnival Ambassadorial Queen title by the confident and talented young women who came before me. Watching them carry themselves with such confidence, grace, and talent truly motivated me. Their ability to embrace their culture and uplift others motivated me to challenge myself, grow, and use this platform to proudly represent who I am and what I believe in,” said Molyneaux, when asked about her inspiration to compete.
“For the past three years, I have attended every Carnival Queen competition as an audience member. Last year during the competition of Carnival Queen 2024 I saw the girls on stage. I decided well you know, if it’s something they can do I can do as well. There was nothing stopping me, the only person that was stopping me from doing so was myself. So on that day, I told my mom that I wanted to do the competition and from parade day I’ve had a chaperone and it was all go and no stopping from then,” replied Carjahn as to what inspired her to compete.
This year, only two contestants are competing for the title. They will be judged on their introduction speech, swimwear, ambassadorial presentation, onstage interview, cultural dress, talent, and evening wear.
“What I’m looking for to the most during the competition is to showcase the person that I am. Usually when people meet me they think that I am the shy and timid and you’re a very introverted person but I’m really not. I’m someone with many hidden secrets, many hidden talents that no one knows about, but yet there’ll be a little snippet of that on the competition, so I can’t wait to surprise everyone with what I have in store,” said Carjahn, contestant number two.
“I’m really looking forward to just having fun and enjoying the entire experience,” said Molyneaux, contestant number one. “I’m glad that I have a bond with my fellow contestants and appreciate the support we have for each other. I’m excited to see how far our friendship will go beyond the competition. I also can’t wait to learn more about my culture and heritage as it’s such a big part of who I am. Overall, I want this journey to be something I’ll always remember, filled with growth, laughter, and unforgettable moments.”
The 2024-2025 Ambassadorial Queen is Majestik Estrada-Petersen. She will have her final walk at the end of the competition and crown her successor.
“Reigning as the Division of Festivals St. Thomas Ambassadorial Carnival Queen for 2024-2025 was amazing and eye opening,” said Estrada-Petersen. “My favorite part of pageantry is bonding with fellow contestants, Iniyah and Caricia, and now my successors, RyDania and Arliesha. I, also, got to hang out with the 70th Miss St. John Sher’Niah Freeman and the 71st Miss St. Croix Festival Queen Na’Zirah Armstrong while promoting the USVI. I learned a lot of inside tips about pageantry that I will use for future pageant endeavors whether I am coaching or competing.”
The reigning queen currently attends the University of the Virgin Islands and said that her future plan is to teach art at public schools in the territory.
“I’m looking forward to graduating from the University of the Virgin Islands with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Fine Arts and Secondary Teacher Education. I’ll be a third-generation UVI graduate joining the legacy set for me by my grandmother, grandfather, mother and brother,” she said.
Last week, the Petite Princess, Princess, and Jr. Miss titles were awarded at the almost eight-hour-long competition that took place at the University of the Virgin Islands, where Skai Lewis, Kaysa Freeman, and Jada-Marie Donovan were crowned, respectively.
The Ambassadorial Queen competition will take place at the Mark. C Marin Center at Antilles School. Tickets are free for children three years of age and under, $20 for children 4-17 years of age, $50 for adults, and can be purchased at Cheryl Gifts & Bags, Men’s Corner, Fashion Source, Soul Creation, Sole 2 Soul, and VI Bridal.
For more information, visit the USVI tourism website.
