-Vows to uplift Guyana’s image on the international stage
There is something about pageantry that captivates us; no matter the time and the place it is being held.
This was the exact case with the Miss Guyana Universe 2016 Pageant. Under the direction of a new franchise holder, Jyoti Hardat, the pageant promised not only more extensive preparation time for the contenders, but a fierce and high quality contest.
Hardat, no stranger to the Miss Guyana Universe stage herself, used her experiences in the field to successfully implement what was perhaps one of the most prolific competitions of its kind in years which was held on September 17, last at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.
It featured 14 dazzling beauties that vied for the coveted crown. However, only one came out the victor. After stunning displays of talent, poise and brilliance, Miss Soyini Fraser was crowned the new Miss Guyana Universe 2016.
The Guyana Inc Magazine had the opportunity to sit down with Soyini who gave us the scoop as to what it’s like living a day in the shoes of Miss Guyana Universe.
Soyini Asanti Fraser is a 26 year old beauty that hails from Prashad Nagar. She was actually born in Georgetown and spent all of her childhood days in the southern part; Spurwing Drive, South Ruimveldt Park, to be exact. She, in fact, prides herself as a city girl by heart; hence, she has kept living there.
Fraser was a former student of West Ruimveldt Primary School and completed her secondary education at Queen’s College. She was later able to obtain her Advanced Diploma in Theology at the Life Christian University, Guyana Campus.
Soyini related that she has always had an amazing childhood, helping her to build her self-esteem; thus preparing her for her pageant days. During her childhood, she was very active, with scars proving such. She would usually find herself always involved in playing all sorts of games in their yard.
Growing up, her active nature fostered a love within her for track and field events. This was especially evident at the schools she attended, where she participated in the schools’ sporting activities, winning herself several trophies and medals.
Confident at heart, Soyini has always found the spotlight and the stage as her second home. This, along with the fact that she has long had a dream of representing Guyana at the Miss Universe pageant, motivated her to take part in the national competition.
Soyini has put Guyana in the limelight before when she participated at the Miss United Nations pageant. But seeing the Miss Universe crown up for grabs was an opportunity she just could not let pass.
Kindness is Soyini’s forte, and throughout the pageant, she advocated for the elderly. She placed her main focus on “Enhancing the golden years of Elderly Guyanese citizens.”
What was her inspiration? Well, this beauty ambassador shares her abode with her mother and grandmother. Fraser said she would daily think about the fact that not every elderly person is as fortunate as her loved ones who have someone to look out for them. Hence, she decided to help bring awareness to and help curb the cycle of elderly neglect as well.
As the reigning Miss Guyana Universe, Soyini has two promises that she has challenged herself to fulfil. Firstly, she intends to keep her platform advocacy close to her heart. And secondly, she plans to work her utmost to ensure that Guyana’s image on the international stage is uplifted.
In order to do this, her intention is to embrace all the naturally good qualities that Guyana has and publicizing them so that the world will fall in love with the land she calls home, just as she has.
Queen as she may be, it was not uncommon for Miss Fraser to encounter challenges on the road to becoming Miss Guyana Universe. However, she gracefully looks past each and every one of them, positing that each day presents its own blessings and challenges. She opined that the best way to get over hardships is to always look for the silver lining.
The Miss Guyana Universe title comes with an ambassadorial role which Soyini intends to firmly upkeep. Her plans to improve on Guyana’s international image are multifactorial.
She definitely believes that this can be achieved through the help of all Guyanese citizens.
It would thus be appropriate for her, being the role model that she now is, to encourage all Guyanese to join her in placing focus and significant emphasis on the positive attributes of Guyana.
Fraser also takes pride in the fact that Guyana is a land with six beautiful races, an amazing rainforest and rich cultural heritage that remains unmatched.
As a beauty ambassador, she proposes to strongly advocate for unity of all people. Through this empowerment exercise, she believes that it will in turn; help other Guyanese strengthen their cultural and ethnic bonds.
Additionally, Fraser said that she believes her beautiful smile is her best feature as a woman while attributing her new added confidence to the fact that she is now the reigning Miss Guyana Universe.
She has used the national leg of the competition to learn more about herself and others as well as putting the things she has learned into practice. This, she believes, will allow her to be the best possible version of herself.
Even the queen has someone she looks up to. For Soyini, that is Pia Wurtzbach, Miss Universe 2015. Why? Simply because of her persistence and the fact that even though she competed at her local competition three times before she won The Miss Philippines Universe title, she did not quit. She instead, used each time she lost, as a reason to learn and to improve herself, while persevering and letting nothing stop her from making her dreams come true. Truly a case of a queen, looking up to another.
It might not be known but this was not Soyini’s first time competing in the Miss Guyana Universe pageant. In fact, she competed in 2014 but was unable to cop the title.
Like Pia, she persisted and seeing another opportunity at becoming Miss Guyana Universe this year, she could not let it pass idly by. Ultimately, she was successful, proving that if you persevere, you can achieve.
Soyini Fraser, a beauty with a heart of gold, a woman who is persistent, courageous and confident, will be representing Guyana at the Miss Universe pageant set to be held in The Philippines on January 30, 2017. The Guyana Inc Magazine wishes her all the best in this pageant and her future endeavours.
