-CONTRIBUTED
Shari-Joy Oliver, the beautiful and bright Miss Caribbean 2006.
Phillip Clarke, Outlook Youth Writer
AT SAINT Leo University's Miss Caribbean competition in April, Shari-Joy Oliver had a date with destiny. For this charismatic, witty and academically-inclined young woman, it was just another event to conquer.
Being no stranger to challenges, this former Immaculate Conception High School head girl seized the opportunity to display her mental and physical capabilities. And what an impressive showing it was. She got the nod from the judges and the title Miss Caribbean 2006, beating four other contestants from Trinidad, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.
"All the contestants were very beautiful, I entered on the basis of representing Jamaica in a positive sense," said a jubilant Shari-Joy.
Although she was up against some impressively capable contestants, she won three out of a total of four categories in the competition including Miss Congeniality, Most Photogenic and of course the main prize 'Miss Caribbean'.
The competition comprised three segments: an introduction, a cultural presentation, and a question and answer period.
Dressed in a Uzuri gown, she displayed her creativity and talent by playing a special musical dub done for her by TOK, which was produced by Master Lee of Code Red fame. If this was not captivating enough for the audience, her power point presentation was sure to do the trick. It included her doing a comical skit which sought to highlight various aspects of the Jamaican culture such as Dinki Mini and of course our reggae music.
MORE THAN JUST BEAUTIFUL
That Shari-Joy is beautiful goes without saying, but don't you ever think that this young lady is only beauty. She has the academic achievements to show that she is just as smart as she is beautiful. Pursuing her major in international hospitality and tourism management, she has obtained a G.P.A. (grade point average) of 3.65 for the past academic year. Among her other academic achievements are a President's Award for being a student athlete with a G.P.A. higher than or equal to 3.65 and a member of the university's Honour's Programme. She also heads the Student Honours Committee.
The basic aim of this group is to improve the honours programme, and increase the level of knowledge among the student population about the programme.
It comes as no surprise that Shari-Joy's academic achievements have enabled her to become a scholarship recipient of the university which is located in Tampa, Florida. "I felt blessed to know that I could receive such an honour," said Shari-Joy.
LATE BLOOMER
She was also selected from a rather large pool of 60 applicants to be resident assistant at the university, and was one out of two Jamaicans chosen for this function of hall Apart from being excited about her achievements, she is the first to admit that she is a late bloomer. "It wasn't until I was a sixth- form student that I realised my true potential and started working harder to obtain my goals," said Shari-Joy.Though she has admitted that university life can be very challenging at times, she is committed to making the best of every opportunity.
"Everybody has the potential to do well, we just have to put in the necessary work," said Shari-Joy.
She is currently serving as the president of Saint Leo's International Tourism Club. She also sits on the International Tourism Liaison Committee in Florida. This committee comprises working professionals in the tourism sector of Florida such as the CEO of the Florida Aquarium Thom Stork.
