Meet Taiesa Lashley Miss United States Virgin Islands 2012

Representing the United States Virgin Islands in the 2012 Miss World Pageant, is 24 year old Taiesa Lashley. Taiesa was born and raised in St. Thomas, USVI, and is veteran in the US Army Reserve. She has served in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) with the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion.

Taiesa is also a graduate of the Johnson and Wales University and has earned a B.S. in Hospitality Management. She is currently pursuing a M.S. in Leadership from the Nova Southeastern University. Her future ambition is to earn a Ph.D. in Education in order to become a Hospitality Professor.

Taiesa is very active in her community. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority INC., volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and works with a local youth group called S.P.A.R.K.S (Students Promoting Awareness Responsibility Knowledge and Service) Taiesa successfully established a chapter of S.P.A.R.K.S at the Johnson & Wales University North Miami Campus and has won multiple leadership and community service awards.

Lashley leaves for the competition on July 16th with the final destination being Ordos, China. There she will compete against 120 representatives from across the globe. She will remain there for a month participating in various events and preliminary competitions. The final event will be held on August 18 and will broadcast worldwide to over 2 billion people and aired locally on E’Network.
You can follow Taiesa’s journey via her official Facebook page: Miss World – U.S. VirginIslands.