Stefanie Belnavis is Miss Caribbean Metro - The first Jamaican to win the US beauty pageant

Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Since winning the Miss Caribbean Metro USA Beauty Pageant, Stefanie Belnavis says she will use the opportunity to make youths in the DC Metropolitan Area more aware of their Caribbean heritage.

Belnavis was crowned the winner of the Miss Caribbean Metro USA Beauty Pageant on July 23. She is the first Jamaican to win the competition since its inception in March 2007. Previous winners hailed from Dominica, Trinidad, Guyana and Grenada. But this year, Belnavis won ahead of several other contestants from Guyana, Trinidad, St Vincent, Jamaica, Haiti and Panama.

"I am very humbled. The coordinators are Jamaicans but it didn't influence the winner for the four years of the competition. It's been a whirlwind since winning, a good one, a positive one," said Belnavis, who was awarded a package valuing more than US$3,000 (J$258,000).

As part of the competition, she said she did an opening piece, wore an evening gown and swimwear, did an interview and also a talent piece reflecting an aspect of the Jamaican culture.

A 'dancing' queen

Belnavis, who has attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in contemporary modern dance from Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom in 2008, did a reggae/dancehall piece in the pageant, one she describes as "more of a cultural display of talent".

Although the contestants are from different countries, Belnavis said there were many similarities.

"It was definitely an interesting experience. I got to meet people from the different islands. Just seeing some of the commonalties was very interesting," said Belnavis, who has done some amount of outreach work in the past.

Active volunteer

She has volunteered her time as a dance instructor at a series of organisations, namely the Alexandria School for Performing Arts (Virginia, USA), The Salvation Army, 'The Nest' Children's Home (Kingston, Jamaica) and the A.M.D Summer Camp for Autistic Children (Kingston, Jamaica). She also has interest in obtaining her American state-board licenser as a certified dance movement therapist.

And amid all of that, she also plans to open a recreational and rehabilitation centre for the arts in the Caribbean which would specialise in different forms of expressive therapies, namely dance therapy, art therapy and music therapy, which will offer therapeutic classes, counselling sessions and education-based workshops geared towards all social classes and behavioural needs.

Now that the competition is over, Belnavis says she will use her exposure and experience as a platform to expose youth in the Caribbean diaspora to arts education.

"I will be targeting the younger Caribbean community. I want to do some motivational workshops and projects. I really just want to create more awareness for the Caribbean community," Belnavis said.