Six lovely young ladies will vie for the crown of St. John Festival Queen this year, above, while four girls — one is not pictured — will try for the title of St. John Festival Princess, below.
Six young St. John ladies converged at the Cruz Bay Battery on Saturday night, February 11, to officially throw their hats into the ring for the title of Miss St. John Festival Queen.
The six contestants, all St. John residents, each picked a goodie bag which contained a number along with several other gifts. The number determined which sash number each contestant would be known as for the pageant, which culminates at the big St. John Festival Queen Selection Show in June.
Contestant number one is Sheniqua Sheena Davis, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Virgin Islands. Contestant number two is Clarissa Vanessa Doyling, who is 17 and in her senior year at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School. Contestant number three is Shelsea Akeisha Jean, a 17-year-old senior attending Charlotte Amalie High School.
Contestant number four is Khadijah M. Athanase, 17, and in her senior year at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School. Contestant number five is 20-year-old UVI sophomore Shanell Thomas.
Contestant number six is 19-year-old Diana Lynn Ross, who is a senior at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School.
The girls will begin training in March and will receive etiquette and modeling classes as well instruction in public speaking and dance. At the St. John Festival Queen Selection Show, the ladies will vie in categories ranging from Personal Interview, Miss Photogenic, Miss Congeniality and Best Talent, to Most Cooperative, Best Evening Wear and Miss Intellect.
At then end of the night, one of the six lovely ladies will take home the crown and represent the island at a number of events as the St. John Festival Queen. But before that, the ladies will spend countless hours working on their dance moves, costumes and perfecting that catwalk.
St. John Cultural and Festival Committee members also met with St. John Festival Princess contestants on February 11, to determine contestant numbers. Only three of the four girls, who also all hail from St. John, were able to make the event, but in total four young ladies will vie for the title of Miss St. John Festival Princess in June.
Festival Princess Contestant number one is Sh’Nyah Alesha Bacon, a nine-year-old Julius E. Sprauve School student. La’Monèe Rosali Morris, an eight-year-old Ulla S. Muller Elementary School student, is contestant number two. Contestant number three is seven-year-old Guy Benjamin School student Je’Nique A. Sylvester. Contestant number four is J’Dejah Denell Estrill and eight-year-old student at Joseph Gomez Elementary.
Congratulations and good luck to all the contestants!
