“I feel loved with all that’s been happening since my win. This is all new and I’m excited,” said an elated Akeila Handy, this year’s Miss Mash Queen.
The 19-year-old student, who bested five other young women, is currently pursuing studies towards becoming a pharmacy computer technician and phlebotomist at Computer World.
Akeila, who hails from Half Mile, Wismar, Linden is no stranger to pageantry; she won her first title in 2018 when she competed in the Miss Silvercity Secondary School pageant. She is also the current reigning Miss Linden Teen Ambassador.
Three pageants and three titles is quite a record for a young woman who has not always been fascinated with pageantry. Instead, Akeila was passionate about singing and poetry and had represented her school at the National Schools Calypso Competition, receiving seven trophies for first and second places. Her father, she said, wrote all of her Calypsos.
Her parents Sacha Skeete and Ryon Handy were singers also, which led to Akeila’s participation in the national competitions. “I discovered I could sing when I was in grade three. I first sang at my Four Roads Government School (in Trinidad and Tobago). Many of the persons at my school referred to me as the ‘Guyanese girl that sings’. Then when I returned to Guyana, I started going to One Mile Primary School. Here I was referred to as the ‘new girl’. I would sit by myself and sing by myself sometimes. My teacher, Candacy Plass, was the one who recognized my talent and she had me singing at school during assembly. Singing at assembly sort of prepared me for crowds,” shared Akeila.
In fifth form she knew that paying for her subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination would be a struggle for her parents. Her teachers at the Silvercity Secondary School were aware of this also, which ultimately led to Akeila’s participation in the school’s pageant.
Akeila recalled trying to focus on the subjects she wanted to write at the upcoming examination while serving as the chaperone for the contestants in the school’s pageant that year. “It was during this time that ‘Miss Stacy’ talked with me and asked why I wasn’t participating in the pageant… She told me that the winner would have their CXC subjects paid for and that I could write more subjects if I wanted. I was [reluctant] at first but then she talked me into it,” recalled Akeila.
Following her win in that pageant, Akeila who was initially preparing to write seven subjects, decided to write ten. She subsequently went on to write three more, a total of 13 subjects in all.
She later competed in the Miss Linden Teen Ambassador pageant, for which director of the Miss Mash Queen Pageant, Pamela Dillon, was one of the mentors. It was Dillon who reached out to Akeila to compete in the Miss Mash Queen Pageant.
The new queen shared that while she was surprised to win her two first pageants, she was even more surprised that she won the Miss Mash Queen title.
“I didn’t see myself as a frontrunner. All the delegates were so beautiful and did their best also. They were strong competitors. There was always one of them who outshone the rest of us in one way or another, some did better at walking, and others at talking,” Akeila said.
Participating in pageantry has made her more knowledgeable about such competitions. According to the young beauty, it is sad that many people still think that pageantry is about physical beauty. Akeila pointed out that pageantry captures one’s “personality, intelligence and confidence. Pageantry is a platform for self-growth and a display of inner beauty.”
Her participation in the recent pageant saw her gaining more confidence in herself and her abilities. “Pageantry has bettered me as an individual. It has improved my self-esteem, made me more plain spoken and a fluent speaker. It changed my life for the better,” Akeila said.
Winning, she said, has created a number of opportunities for her and she cannot wait to get working on her project ideas. She has since introduced several proposals to Linden’s mayor.
She is also slated to meet Prime Minister Mark Phillips and First Lady Arya Ali later this month.
The new queen shared about being interested in the health and educational welfare of the children in Linden. Akeila is looking to provide past examination papers for both primary and secondary school students who are unable to afford textbooks. These papers helped her during her studies.
Meanwhile, she hopes to put together anti-COVID packages inclusive of reusable face masks, sanitizers, bar soaps and brochures among other things.
Akeila added that she would also like to have a cook-out and have boxes of food distributed to hire-car drivers. She pointed out that many of the drivers in Linden were always nice to her. They were always on-the-go to provide for their families and as a result, often skipped meals. At the moment, this is expected to be a one-time activity, but should people get onboard and invest, it could be monthly or weekly.
An aspiring doctor, Akeila did a work study in the lab department at the Mackenzie Hospital Complex a while back. She shared how sad and helpless she felt when she saw sick children. For Career Day, she took time out to read stories to the children at the hospital. As part of her project, she hopes to return to the hospital to read stories to the children and take them toys.
Wanting to make sick children recover, she shared, was what inspired her interest in a medical career. Following her secondary education, Akeila had hoped to land a scholarship to pursue her dream of being a doctor and when she did not receive one, she applied for a student loan but was unsuccessful. For her, studying at Computer World is one of the steps she needs to take to achieve her dream.
Becoming Miss Mash Queen, the young woman said, is not something she accomplished by herself and she expressed gratitude to Dillon, her fellow contestants, her mentors and especially her parents.
“Both my parents are really supportive. My dad is always at every event I participate in and my mom always stayed up-to-date and was always checking in with me. My parents are the reason I have been successful in lots of things I’ve set out to do. They keep me motivated for myself and my sisters. Seeing how hard they work keeps me from being distracted and staying focused on my goals,” said Akeila.
Winning the Miss Mash Queen 2022 Pageant, Akeila said has provided much exposure for her. Several designers have since reached out to provide sponsorship as it relates to having her flaunt their pieces at events she will be attending.
Speaking of her legacy, the new queen said, “I want to inspire many people. I want people to never forget my presence as I would have made a difference in their lives. And, I want to pave a better path for aspiring queens.”
For the Miss Mash Queen Pageant, the contestants competed in the Personality Interview, Introduction, Swimsuit, Ceremonial Gown, Evening Gown and Costume categories. Akeila stunned in her Randy Madray designed pieces including her costume which featured the Kissing Bridge in the Botanical Gardens and the water lily.
As part of the prize for winning the pageant, Akeila is expected to represent Guyana in the Caribbean Queen Show to be held in Antigua and Barbuda in July.
Runner-up positions for Miss Mash Queen 2022 Pageant went to Tamasha Oxford and Zoriah McCalmont respectively.
