Happy New Year everyone! For those of you who are new to T-stance on Pageantry, welcome! And for my returning pageant fans thanks for coming back.

I am so excited to share that Cayman's pageant season is kicking off with Miss World Cayman Islands (MWCI).

The 3rd annual MWCI pageant will be taking place on Saturday, 29 May 2021 at the Harquail Theatre.

The Sports preliminary competition will be taking place on Saturday, 1 May at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.

The committee has found the next group of contestants who will vie for the coveted title.

With the Cayman Islands being virtually COVID free, the government's protocols currently allow for up to 500 persons to be in the same venue. Thus allowing the MWCI Pageant to take place as usual.

Now without further ado, let's meet the 5 contestants of the 2021 MWCI pageant.

Contestant #1

Name: Alyssa West

Age: 24

District: George Town

Social: @alyssasharmaine

Tell Us About Yourself...

I am passionate about sustainabilitly and protecting our environment, and that passion led me to obtain a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of South Florida. I am currently working in environmental engineering and I have recently started taking a few engineering courses online to help me advance in my career. 

However, when I'm not working you'll more than likely find me weightlifting at the gym. I also enjoy dancing and I am currently a member of the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) dance group.

Why Do You Want To Be The Next Miss World Cayman Islands (MWCI)?

Becoming MWCI has been a dream of mine for many years now. I want to become the next Miss World Cayman Islands because I want to use my voice to speak up on issues that not only affect our islands but other countries as well. I also want to become a role model for both young Caymanian women and men, with the hopes of inspiring them to follow their dreams too.

What Sets You Apart From The Other Contestants?

I believe that what makes me different from the other contestants is my sense of drive and perseverance. When I set a goal for myself I work extremely hard and do my very best to achieve it, no matter how difficult it may be. I plan on doing my best in this pageant as well.

What’s One Issue You’d Like To Advocate For? And Why? 

It's difficult for me to only choose one issue, but if I did I would speak out on depression in adolescence. I know that the topic of depression and anxiety may still be a bit taboo in the Caribbean, but being someone who has and continues to experience this for myself, I think it is important to let young people know that they are not alone, that their feelings are not invalid and that there are resources available to make them feel safe and to help them get through something as difficult as depression.

Contestant #2

Name: Jesika Calderin-Ebanks

Age: 23

District: West Bay

Social: @miss.jesikaebanks

Tell Us About Yourself...

My name is Jesika Calderin-Ebanks, I am a young professional woman with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. I believe that I am an excellent role model because of the many obstacles in life that I have overcome. I consider myself a young local entrepreneur; I own a small business and work full time. In my free time, I like diving, painting, going to the gym or playing football. I believe in having a healthy, spiritual life with God because with him all things are possible. 

Why Do You Want To Be The Next Miss World Cayman Islands (MWCI)?

I would love to be the next MWCI because I believe in taking a stand and making a difference in my community. Cayman's true treasure is our people and with that said, we all can make a difference in making Cayman a better place by helping the less unfortunate, improving our marine and land ecosystem, and by promoting self-awareness. 

What Sets You Apart From The Other Contestants?

What makes me different is that I believe in putting thought and care into everything I set my mind to. Also, I consider myself an action taker and I would like to promote and make a stand for something important and meaningful in Cayman.

What’s One Issue You’d Like To Advocate For? And Why? 

There are many issues in which I would like to advocate for; one is to promote self-awareness to make Cayman a better place. We all need to become more conscious of our disposal for the good of our environment. We need to reflect on our present unpredicted fatal events and think ahead on how we can make a better place for our future children who can be affected if we don't make a change from now.

COVID-19 has shown me how the world can instantly change due to a virus that has caused a worldwide pandemic. It has certainly made me become even more conscious of my health and safety habits, as well as the many ways I can recycle to become more conservative and how important it is for us to take care of ourselves so we can take care of the environment in order to have a better future.

Contestant #3

Name: Sydonie Barrett

Age: 25

District: George Town

Social: @sydoniebarrett

Tell Us About Yourself...

My name is Sydonie Barrett and I was born and raised in George Town. I attended St. Ignatius Catholic School from kindergarten through to A-levels. After completing my A-levels, I moved to the UK to study Law with International Studies at the University of Surrey, on a full legal scholarship. After completing my Bachelors, I attended the University of Law in London to complete an LPC LLM in Professional Legal Practice. My ambition is to practice law and politics and to represent the Cayman Islands on the international stage. I enjoy working out to keep fit and healthy and my favourite form of exercise is weight training.

Why Do You Want To Be The Next Miss World Cayman Islands (MWCI)?

What attracted me to the role of MWCI is the idea of being an ambassador for our islands. I believe that I would be a great ambassador because I am confident, compassionate and authentic and I have proven myself to be, hardworking and dedicated to the edifying representation of our islands. I also believe the role of MWCI is very important as she acts as a role model for the younger generation, and I hope to use such a platform to be an example for young girls, to teach them that they can go as far as their imagination takes them.

The motto of the Miss World organisation is ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ and I believe that my life aligns closely with this message as I believe that being community-minded, along with a good education adds fulfilment and meaning to life. Therefore, I am keen on using the MWCI platform to make an impact and to develop our society into a healthier, more advance, and prosperous one through sustainable living.

What Sets You Apart From The Other Contestants?

While each contestant is unique, intelligent, extremely capable and worthy of the crown, what sets me apart is that I believe that from an early age, I have made great strides to represent my community as passionately as I could. In high school, I won the academics category of the Proud of Them awards and I joined the Cayman Islands Youth Assembly and the CPA Youth Parliament in the positions of Deputy Premier (2011) and Leader of Opposition (2012). I have always challenged myself in areas that I find intimidating but serve as opportunities for growth. I think with this mindset, I will be able to excel and rise above the occasion in every task faced during the MWCI journey.

What’s One Issue You’d Like To Advocate For? And Why? 

Sustainable living – with an emphasis on food sustainability. Cayman imports over 90% of its food and I believe COVID-19 has made us realise the devastating impact that pandemics, along with other acts of nature, can have on trade and the food supply and I think it is paramount that we start growing more of our food locally. Therefore, I would like to bring more awareness to backyard farming.

Contestant #4

Name: Krista Ebanks

Age: 24

District: West Bay

Social: @krista_ebanks

Tell Us About Yourself...

I am currently an Assistant Teacher at Red Bay Primary School, as working with children is a great passion of mine. I graduated from Wesleyan Christian Academy in 2015 as Valedictorian with honours and went on to study Hospitality Management at UCCI. I fell in love with teaching when my former school offered me a job as a classroom monitor. I am also bilingual and aim to be an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in the future.

I enjoy playing volleyball and was a member of the Cayman Islands Women’s National Volleyball team where we represented the country locally and internationally including the Island Games in 2013. I have played with several teams throughout the years where we went on to win finals and I was awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP).

I feel I am a well-rounded, humble person who enjoys being active and involved in my community and I feel entering MWCI will allow me even more opportunities to do so.

Why Do You Want To Be The Next Miss World Cayman Islands (MWCI)?

I would be honoured to hold the title of MWCI because I think it is a great privilege to be an ambassador for our country. I think it is a great platform that can be used to bring awareness to important issues in our community, but it is also a great opportunity to improve yourself and grow as an individual. I aspire to be someone young girls can look up to and turn to and I would love to help instil the value of inner beauty as beauty should not be defined by outward appearances. Inner beauty is powerful and purposeful and I would love this message to reach and impact as many people as possible.

What Sets You Apart From The Other Contestants?

I think just being one’s self automatically sets us apart from one another, as every individual is inherently unique. Secondly and more specifically, I think some of my best attributes are my optimism, positivity and enthusiasm, my personability and humility, my wholesomeness and caring nature, my work ethic and dedication, my authenticity, athleticism and sense of humour. Even though we may share certain qualities and characteristics with others, how we display them is unique to each individual.

What’s One Issue You’d Like To Advocate For? And Why? 

I would like to advocate for the end of child hunger. As an Assistant Teacher, I have seen first-hand how important a nutritious meal is to a child’s development and how the lack of one can impede their ability to function and grow. I do not want a child’s progress to be hindered simply because they were not able to eat. I think it is our duty as a community to help our youth in any way we can so they can have the best opportunity possible to be happy, healthy, thriving members of society.

Contestant #5

Name: Rashana Hydes

Age: 24

District: West Bay

Social: @rashanahydes

Tell Us About Yourself...

I was born and raised on the beautiful island of Grand Cayman and my family and I have always proudly resided in West Bay. From primary school to university, I have always had a keen interest in academic pursuits with a real curiosity for learning new things.

I received my associate's degree in Hospitality Management at the University College of the Cayman Islands, graduating with honours. I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management with honours from the University of Central Florida in 2018.

Those close to me would probably describe me as ambitious, fair-minded and artistic. I am passionate about various forms of creative expression; spending my free time practising my makeup skills, drawing, writing, dancing, and honing my calligraphy skills.

In the future, I want to become a leader in the tourism industry of the Cayman Islands with the intention of promoting an environmentally friendly, sustainable approach to the islands’ long term economic growth.

Why Do You Want To Be The Next Miss World Cayman Islands (MWCI)?

I would be honoured to be the next MWCI because I believe that I would bring unique representation to the platform through my own personal experiences. During the year of 2020, I was able to do a lot of self-reflection and gained a new perspective on life.

I realized that my true calling has always been to uplift, inspire and guide young women and young men. I want young women to recognize the similarities between themselves and me, and they can draw inspiration from knowing that if I can overcome life’s challenges, they can as well. I also want to become more involved in my amazing community and actively give back through various volunteer organizations, and my Beauty with a Purpose platform: Mental Health through Mentorship.

What Sets You Apart From The Other Contestants?

Each of my pageant sisters are unique, but I believe I stand out because of my personality and the things I have learned and experienced in my life. Being raised in West Bay and being surrounded by the strong women in my family, I was taught the foundation of what it means to be a good person and a strong woman in the face of any adversity.

I was encouraged to pursue my dreams while remaining on a spiritual path. In 2015, I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety, which I actively work to overcome every day with positive coping mechanisms. I want to show young people going through similar struggles that may be unseen and less spoken of, that we are all able to create our own success.

What’s One Issue You’d Like To Advocate For? And Why? 

I hope to contribute to various causes during my journey and choosing only one area is challenging. However, following my previous answer, I would like to put a focus on mental health. I want to work with organizations such as the Alex Panton Foundation to help facilitate accessible mental health resources and support, particularly for children aged 10-17. This cause is specifically impactful and important to me because of my own personal struggles and the mental struggles experienced by my close family, friends, and colleagues.

There you have it, the 5 stunning ladies competing for the title of MWCI 2021-2022. I’ll be following their journey closely so be sure to check back or better yet, sign up for my newsletter and follow T-stance on Pageantry on social @tstanceonpageantry

Want more MWCI content? Follow the official MWCI IG account: @missworldcayman