Kadia Brooks, Miss OCS Electrical and Lighting. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Age: 24

Height: 5'9"

Vital statistics: 34-26-37

Occupation: Entrepreneur/Paralegal

Sponsor: OCS Electrical & Lighting

Why did you decide to enter the competition?

"I've always wanted to enter Miss Jamaica - from when I was 14. I've been entering beauty pageants and my ultimate goal was to finally enter the Miss Jamaica pageant, win it and represent my country in a positive way."

What is your definition of a beauty queen?

"My definition of a beauty queen is someone who has genuine beauty, inside and out, someone who shows confidence; Someone who believes in themself and reaches out to others while reaches for their goals, not someone who is selfish."

What do you expect to achieve by entering the competition?

"More confidence, meeting various personalities. It's amazing to see some of these young ladies, they look so well put together but when you talk to them, you see where they are coming from, all the struggles that they've been through and they are at this point in their life where they have always wanted to be, entering a beauty pageant, entering a competition. So, to get positive experience from all these ladies' lives encourages me to actually work hard."

What is your best asset?

"My best asset, I think, is my personality. I'm a people person, I love people. What I believe is that if you have a great personality, a positive one, it attracts people and I think that is actually a very, very, very good quality to have."

How would you sell Jamaica to a foreigner in light of the high crime rate?

"Well, I wouldn't highlight the crime aspect of Jamaica for sure. I would tell them about our beautiful beaches, of course, our positivepeople, how hard working they are and how talented we are and I'd probably draw to light some of the successful personalities from Jamaica."

What do you love the most about Jamaica?

"Our people. They are great, they are talented, they're beautiful. We have a history that has taught us to work for whatever we want and because of that, we have this drive and determination and without the people you wouldn't have a great Jamaica. So, that is what I love most about Jamaica, the people."

If you could meet one person, who would it be, and why?

"Oprah Winfrey of course. She is the living example of what I want to become. She has helped so many people. She is not selfish, because if she was selfish then I doubt that she would help people. She opened this school earlier in Africa that I watched on TV and I actually cried, because for her to actually take what she has and go out there and help people, that is just a genuinely beautiful person and I hope to one day meet her."

If you win, what sector of the society would you work with?

"I've always wanted to work with children because I know what it is like to actually want to achieve something and you do not have people behind you, pushing you and helping you. I know the pain that comes from not having someone there. So if I can work anywhere with young people, encourage them, show them the way, help them, listen to their ideas, dreams, and make them come to reality."

If you were the Prime Minister, what changes would you make and how?

"I would build more factories because I want to see instead of 'Made in China', 'Made in Jamaica', because we have so many talented people here for them to actually put what they know to work and make something out of it, create more jobs. I would also set up more programmes to help young people to showcase their talent. Not everyone can be a doctor, be a nurse, or be a lawyer, so you have persons who can do art and craft. I would just open centres where persons can come in and learn a trade."

What do you hope to achieve infive years?

"I want to have another business and I want to pursue my media career, and I'm also a fashion designer so I want to have a clothing line soon. I'm actually working on that. So, to have another business, to work on my clothing line, and to venture into the media field. I've always wanted to read news, so hopefully one day I'll get a chance to do that within five years."

- Carolyn Johnson