Land of the giants, the breathtaking Kanuku Mountain range and the annual Rupununi Rodeo, among other things, Region Nine for the first time managed to take the much coveted Miss Indigenous Heritage Queen title two Saturdays ago. This came compliments of homegrown Sherica Ambrose, who defeated nine other contestants to take the crown.
Sherica attired in the traditional clothing of her people during
a photo shoot in Rupununi. (Photo by Yimochi Melville)
In an exclusive interview with The Scene, Sherica shared her passion for Indigenous culture, her experiences in the pageant and her plans for her two-year reign as Heritage Queen.
Growing up
Born in the kitchen of her home in St Ignatius Village, Central Rupununi, 21 years ago, Sherica is the representation of a mixture of 4 of the 9 Indigenous nations in Guyana: Akawaio, Wapishana, Arecuna and Wai- Wai and the third of her parents’ six children.
For Sherica, growing up, “Life was always peaceful. I think my parents did a really good job providing for us, working really hard and making sure that we had our every need.”
Her parents paid extra attention to her education, as her mom even went as far as to replace the traditional doll and other toys with books as presents. “I remember every time my mom got me a present. Instead of a doll or something… she would give me a book. At first I was annoyed. [I thought] why can’t she give me a doll or something, she’s always giving me books. Every time I excelled at school or exams, she would give me a new text book or a novel,” she laughed. However, her appreciation of books eventually grew as she started to like reading, which had really helped in the secondary schools entrance exams, since extra lessons were not a common feature in St Ignatius.
Her performance at the national exam gained her a place at Central High School, in Georgetown. Sherica, a recipient of the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, travelled to the capital to complete her high school education, focusing on the business aspect of the curriculum before heading to the University of Guyana where she has since graduated from with a Diploma in Accountancy.
Sherica has since returned home and is currently working at a local souvenir shop, something that
