Miss Universe Jamaica St Ann and St Mary queens on to national final

A cyber forensic examiner and ophthalmic dispenser took top honours at the Miss Universe Jamaica St Ann and St Mary coronation event on Sunday, June 7, at Lavender Moon Villas in Breadnut Hill, Ocho Rios. More than a dozen hopefuls, with their eyes on the crowns and titles, competed in the joint pageant, ranging in age from 18 to 56. At the end of the evening, 22-year-old Renieka Brown won the Miss St Ann title while 26-year-old Denaá Hydol won the Miss St Mary crown. 

Daniela Gordon and Racquel Richards placed second and third, respectively, for St Ann, while on the St Mary side, Khalila Martin and Soleil Walker were the first- and second-place runners-up.

A former student of St Monica’s College, Brown is passionate about fashion, community involvement and personal growth. Wearing the sash of Miss Phoenix Health Complex and Vision Centre, the ophthalmic dispenser shared that she was dedicated to empowering young women to recognise their worth and believe in themselves. 

“When they announced my name, at first everything went blank, and then I thought to myself: I did it,” an excited Brown shared with The Gleaner. “I entered the Miss Universe Jamaica because I did a community club competition back in 2019, and I was told then that it wasn’t a career changer, so I should leave it alone because there is nothing beyond that, so I should just go be a nurse or something. But I am a very determined person, and I had to prove people wrong, so I used the opportunity to demonstrate that I can and will achieve whatever I set my mind to, and [show] that pageants can be an ideal stepping stone to success,” said Brown. 

Inspired by her mother’s hard work and tenacity, Brown added that her mother was there cheering for her on Sunday and that her words to her when it was over were that she had made her proud. “For me, it’s about representing women from humble beginnings who don’t have the support, the push and the resources. So, at the national pageant, I want to represent my parish to the best of my ability and show them what St Ann is all about,” she said.

Wearing the sash, Miss Spicy Octopus Seafood and Jerk, Hydol, who is a cyber forensic examiner by profession, said that taking the crown was one of her life goals. As for her career in forensics, she said the love for the field was born out of her love of watching CSI with her mom as a small child. “I was intrigued by it all, and I asked my mom what they were doing, and she explained to me how they were behind the scenes solving crime. So, from there, I was hooked. It’s a career that holds a bit of mystery, but, with the rise in scamming in our society right now, we are very valued,” said Hydol.  

A proud first-generation university graduate, Hydol holds a bachelor’s degree in forensic chemistry and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity through Universidad Católica (UCAM) in Spain. Her passion surrounds science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and mentorship, which she believes empower young women and encourage them to think outside the box in terms of pursuing fields that are not seen as traditional but have tremendous potential for national growth and development. “When going to school, we were taught to pursue traditional careers like [being] a teacher, doctor, lawyer, police, etc.,” she said. “We wouldn’t think to be a cyber forensic examiner, so I’m trying to put STEM jobs out there so that our young people will see careers that will better help in nation building, and so I’m inspired to build a workplace that will not only benefit the individual, but the nation at large.”  

Parish director for St Ann and St Mary, Sara Jade Kow, told The Gleaner that the change from the regional to parish pageants had its challenges, but they were very successful in their execution.  “We had 10 weeks to train the ladies and impart the knowledge needed while executing the overall pageant, so it was challenging but definitely worth it. I believe in empowering women, so being able to offer expertise in areas such as marketing and personal branding, speech and communication, walk and poise was second nature to me,” said Kow, who is a former first runner-up in the Miss Universe Jamaica national pageant. She added, “That experience, plus my marketing and communication degree, helped me to bring out the best in them. We also had weekly rehearsals and fun excursions with our sponsors to give the ladies exposure and the opportunity to network. So, overall, it was a very good experience,” she said.

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