20-y-o med student is MUJ KSA

Hannah Collings-Myers, a 20-year-old medical sciences student at The University of the West Indies, has been crowned the first Miss Universe Jamaica Kingston & St Andrew.

Collings-Myers, representing Miss Digital Properties Limited, expressed her surprise and happiness after winning the title at the Douglas Orane Auditorium. "Surprise, yes, I am. This journey has been terrifying; I have been so scared to do everything, but I’ve put my best foot forward, and I don’t know why I’m so surprised to see that it came with good results," she told the Jamaica Observer.

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Surprise, yes, I am. This journey has been terrifying; I have been so scared to do everything, but I’ve put my best foot forward, and I don’t know why I’m so surprised to see that it came with good results.

She described the preparation as demanding but worthwhile, stating, "The training was definitely hard, lots of long days, but it was worth it. I have taken away a new sense of self... it shows me that I am much more than I think I am."

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The training was definitely hard, lots of long days, but it was worth it. I have taken away a new sense of self, I was so unsure about coming into this competition, and the fact that I came here, put my best out and could win, it shows me that I am much more than I think I am.

Jermane Blair, franchise manager for Miss Universe Jamaica Kingston & St Andrew, encouraged Collings-Myers to enter the pageant two years ago. He recalled meeting her at a fashion show and being impressed by her beauty, mature communication, and intellectual responses. "I reached out to her and encouraged her to enter, but she decided to enter this year, and she did the work, and look at her now, she is the new queen tonight," Blair said.

Collings-Myers, originally from Manchester, relocated to Kingston for her studies. The pageant featured an opening number and introductions from 21 contestants, with the field narrowed down to a top 14.

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I met Hannah at a fashion show two years ago and I thought that she was so beautiful. Her way of communicating was just so mature, and her responses were so intellectual. I reached out to her and encouraged her to enter, but she decided to enter this year, and she did the work, and look at her now, she is the new queen tonight.