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Consuelo Dupal was late. The 18-year-old caramel skinned beauty made her way to the STAR in a real hurry wearing jeans, a flirty ruffled black halter top and skyscraper patent black heels. Her mother had accompanied her for the photo shoot and though Consuelo said she’d been extremely busy over the last few weeks and was wiped out, she looked as bright as day.
The STAR Publishing was hardly new territory for the pageant girl who has been featured in SHE Caribbean magazine in the past. She’d been in form one at St Joseph’s Convent when she did her first photo shoot and at that time she’d already been a promising model filled with potential.
Years later so much had changed, yet much remained the same. Consuelo, commonly called Connie by close friends, claimed her height was the only thing that really changed as she reunited with publisher and photographer, Rick Wayne. Her lips curled into a dazzling smile as she explained that she’d returned to college (Monroe) the day before. Almost immediately her words made the ‘lateness offense’ forgivable. Either that or it must have been the charming smile of a seemingly unassuming young woman that won us over.
Consuelo, named after Consuelo Mac, a reporter for the Asian Wall Street Journal, had just returned to the island from a pageant St Lucia has never won before; the Digicel Haynes Smith Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant held in December. The first time pageant girl gave the other more experienced contestants a run for the crown as she dazzled with her dramatic talent and floated through the evening on a cloud of confidence. In the end she came out on top, the only catch being that she had to share her title with another winner, Berriscia Byron who hails from St Kitts where the pageant is held.
When asked about her reaction the moment she was announced winner, Consuelo said: “I was really confident about my performance and believed that there was a great chance that I would win. Actually hearing your name called as queen is an indescribable moment. It was a sense of relief. All my hard work had finally paid off and I was really proud of myself. I knew that I had made my family, my friends and my country very proud as well.”
Contestants from Anguilla, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, St Croix, the US Virgin Islands, St Kitts and St Lucia took part in the grand affair. Despite the competitive nature of the occasion, Consuelo said all the Caribbean teen pageant contestants were friendly and eager to get to know each other.
“I found myself getting closer to Miss Trinidad Britney Cadogan, Miss Barbados Ashley Simpson and Miss Bahamas Ashley Knowles and we have remained in contact after the pageant. We’re actually making plans for the three to visit St Lucia in the near future, probably for carnival this July.”
Pageant segments included ambassadorial speech, talent, production number, evening gown and interview. Consuelo’s costume was designed by the Mas Action Carnival Band and Zenith, while her gown was designed and made by Greggory Lord. Consuelo said the theme for her talent was something young people dealt with every day. She played the role of the victim who was pressured by friends to consume alcohol at a party and had the strength to say no. In the end the girl lost her life on the way home at the hands of a drunk driver.
“I believe that it definitely sent a message out to all who were watching as I won best talent in the pageant,” said Consuelo. “There were a few people in the audience in tears. I wanted my talent to be unique and impressionable and when Barry George chose and scripted my talent and handed it to me, I was really excited.”
The pageant beauty says the most memorable parts of the experience were the friendships made, the conversations and laughs shared and “of course me being crowned Miss Haynes Smith Caribbean Talented Teen, for the first time for St Lucia. I will always cherish these moments.”
Sponsors that helped make her participation in the prestigious teen pageant possible include Evos Boutique, Beauty City, Shangai Beauty Salon, Touch Therapies Day Spa, Show Off Shoes, Cathy’s Boutique, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Barry George, Trevor King, Zenith Williams, Dominic Fedee, Nakita Belizaire, Iva Satney, Erene Charlemagne and Delma Polius.
“I also want to thank my biggest supporter Kim Florent, my mom and chaperone Janice Dupal, my father Lennox Dupal, my family, friends, well wishers and supporters. Thank you so much for your assistance and support
Source:http://stluciastar.com
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