Kephra Sylvester poses for a photo during her first walk as Miss BVI following a pageant on Aug. 6 at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex. Photo: NGOVOU GYANG

When Khephra Sylvester finished singing Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” during the talent segment of the Miss British Virgin Islands Pageant on Aug. 6, cheers filled the Multi-purpose Sports Complex.

By the end of the night, she would have everything. Ms. Sylvester went on to win the pageant by edging out five other women: Tecora Morgan, Lean Francis, Ayana Phillips, Helena Hewlett and Genesis Richards.

Kephra Sylvester poses for a photo during her first walk as Miss BVI following a pageant on Aug. 6 at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex. Photo: NGOVOU GYANG
But the competition was stiff.

At the start of the show, the women danced through the crowd, making their way to the stage for a group performance. After that, they returned individually to introduce themselves.

Ms. Richards — who would go on to win Miss Popularity — began the segment, explaining the she was born to a Dominican Republic mother and a VI father.

“I represent the richness of both cultures and the story that binds us as one people,” she said. “As a bilingual communication specialist, I aspire to make a positive difference in the lives of others while giving back to the community that has helped to shape me, promoting unity as the foundation of cultural diversity.”

Ms. Phillips’ platform centred around education, the importance of which she learned the hard way.

“I made a mistake, stood up, walked out of my last college class and decided it was time to take a break. It would be the very break that almost broke me,” she said, adding that she has since returned to H. Lavity Stoutt Community College to complete her business administration degree.

Former Miss Virgin Gorda Easter Festival Tecora Morgan gave a more emotional introduction.

“I am a victim of cyber bullying,” Ms. Morgan said of her platform. “Believe me when I tell you, cyber bullying leaves you feeling violated, humiliated and dumps you into a state of depression. Many people experiencing this have difficulty coping and even attempt to commit suicide.”

Her speech also included advice for fighting back.

“Do not share any images, videos or information that can cause harm or hurt to an individual,” she warned. “This only add to the behaviour and adds pain to the victim.”

Ms. Hewlett, a CCT costumer service representative, explained that her platform was promoting mental health for cancer patients.

“Mental health is such an important aspect of recovery and becoming a survivor, not just for cancer but for other illnesses,” Ms. Hewlett said.

She is also passionate about learning languages, she explained, adding that she’s learning to speak Mandarin, German, Spanish, Japanese, French and Korean.

Ms. Francis’ platform focused on assisting victims of domestic violence.

“Victims experience emotional, verbal, psychological and physical abuse,” she said. “It has the power to change one’s life fully and transform it forever.”

Ms. Sylvester described a similar platform that included establishing a shelter for victims of domestic violence in the territory.

The winners are…

After the introductions, the women exited the stage and later returned for other segments including Talent, Cultural/Historical Wear, Eveningwear and Question and Answer.

In the end, Ms. Sylvester walked away with the crown, while Mses. Phillips and Hewlett tied for first runner-up and Ms. Francis was second runner-up.

“We’ve never had a tie to best of my knowledge,” said Kareem-Nelson Hull, a longtime pageant chaperone.

He added that Ms. Sylvester was very consistent throughout the night.

“Consistency is the only thing that can win a pageant,” Mr. Hull said. “What I think Khephra did was to peak in the segments that were heavily rated, and she must have placed second or third in other segments.”

Miss BVI 2010 Sheroma Hodge-Philip agreed.

“Usually in pageants here in the BVI, we can pick out a clear winner, but with this show it could have been anyone,” she said. “It kept the audience on their feet and excited.”

Medical difficulty

The evening, however, did not come off without a hitch. Ms. Morgan dropped out just before the eveningwear segment, emcee Zoe Walcott-McMillan told the audience.

“There were EMTs here just in the event she could not continue, and unfortunately she has been whisked away by the ambulance, so she will be unable to conclude the pageant,” the host announced. “This was a pre-existing situation prior to this evening, which unfortunately got the best of her.”

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