By Keisha McCammon
She entered the Guyana Model Search competition for the experience and to have fun, contemplated dropping out, and never expected to reach the finals or win. But that’s exactly what New Amsterdam resident, the talented Shanelly Kendall did and she is still replaying the event in her mind, amazed at her newfound popularity.
Eighteen-year-old Shanelly got involved in Model Search on the insistence of a friend who believed in her and ushered her to the audition in Berbice.
Never before had she participated in such a rigorous, urbane yet self-fulfilling, rewarding and worthwhile competition that had the ability to change her as a person.
She says that initially she believed that she wouldn’t make it far in the competition and “was just waiting to be eliminated”. At one stage, before she was selected in the final six she had considered withdrawing from the competition as travelling to and from Berbice was very costly. However, with the encouragement of friends, she says, she continued.
One such friend was Mark Adams, a fellow participant aiming to take the top spot in the male category. He was eliminated when the final six were selected. Shanelly credits him as being one of her biggest motivators and the one who helped to design her Digicel outfit, which she strutted on the runway on the night of the final.
Before Model Search, Shanelly was an ordinary teenager who graduated from the New Amsterdam Multilateral School after completing first year Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). The year before, she wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and was successful in ten subjects. Shanelly then began working part time as a cashier/typist.
She had only taken part in small pageants – modelling for her church, her school’s fashion show and the Miss African Queen Pageant held in Berbice in 2006 where she was selected as the first runner-up.
What many people do not know about Shanelly, is that she can play the guitar, a skill she learnt from her father. She also sings, writes poetry and has a passion for writing short stories and 30-minute dramas, which she did for her Theatre Arts class when she was at school and for church. Her goal in life is to become a lawyer.
Since entering the Model Search competition and winning it on Sunday, her life has already changed dramatically. Shanelly, who sat down with The Scene earlier this week, says she has experienced things that she never had before. For her the most spectacular was the photo shoot. She also cites being part of a reality show, on the spot challenges such as to pick an outfit for a casual event, giving interviews and learning how to walk like a model.
The days leading up to the finale were tough and exhausting for her and she experienced sleepless nights preparing for the ‘Glamorous’ show. Now she reflects on everything with a smile and says it was all worth the effort.
The competition, she says, has helped with her posture and she will be forever thankful to Model Trainer Richard Young; Senior Editor of Shabeau magazine Kofi Branch and Fashion Designer Sonia Noel. Outside the competition, Lauristan Choy, she says, motivated as well as promoted her.
Shanelly laughs as she recalls the night of the show when she was forced on two occasions to wear a pair of borrowed shoes one size smaller than her feet as she had problems with her own shoes. She wears a size 8½ and had to model in a size 7½ pair of shoes. Through the pain, she says, she kept a smile plastered on her face and strutted onto the catwalk as though she was walking on cotton, maintaining her composure.
As she stood on the stage awaiting the results, she recalls, she still didn’t believe she would have won as all the contestants, in her opinion, did a great job. She felt that the judges would have a hard time making their decision.
She remembers hearing the MC Nigel Hughes, saying Ayanna Harris’s name (first runner up) and then being hugged by her; Jenel Cox, the second runner-up, fainting and being carried off the stage. She realised then that she had won and immediately started to scream.
Shanelly explains the moment as feeling like something from her dreams and she continues to relive the moment it in her mind.
She won for herself a cellular phone and other accessories from Digicel, a trophy, a photo shoot in Shabeau magazine, trips, designer clothing from designers at the “Style Mission” show which was held in December, and vouchers from Clairan’s, John Lewis Styles and other stores among other prizes.
Her former schoolteachers have since called and congratulated her as well as her parents and other friends. She is however surprised and finds it a bit extraordinary that strangers stop her on the street to hug and congratulate her.
She also has words of encouragement for other young women who wanted to be part of Model Search or are inspired to do great things: “The woman that moved the mountain stated by removing the little stones”.
Shanelly now thinks of herself as an ambassador for Guyana and will be taking part, along with Michael Younge the male winner of the competition, in the Shabeau competition in Barbados next week. After which she will be taking part in other events.
Her win she describes as an “exciting rush” and is hoping in next few days to recover from her shock and enjoy her reality. (keishworld24_7@yahoo.com)
