News
4th Annual Miss Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre 2021 @ The Ritz Carlton
#TurksandCaicos, October 7, 2021 – On Saturday, September 25, 2021, The Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre held the 4th annual Ms. Edward C Gartland Youth Centre Pageant at The Ritz Carlton, showcasing six bold, beautiful, and confident contestants all vying for the title of Miss. Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre 2021. The six contestants dazzled the crowd with their poise and elegance, while showing the smarts they gathered throughout their training experience in preparation for the pageant.
Director, Roxann Wake-Forbes, shared that “This was not a typical beauty pageant found in the islands. The purpose of our pageant was to assist our six contestants find their purpose, develop their personality, identify their strengths and weaknesses, gain confidence and boost their self-esteem.”
The pageant consisted of several categories, Introduction, Career wear, Talent, Eveningwear and the nail-biting Question and Answer portion. Prior to the event, contestants participated in an interview and a fitness competition which both carried points toward the contestant’s overall score. 
Program Manager, Charvis Ferguson shared “We have been striving to build well-rounded and confident members of society. We have seen significant changes in our young ladies particularly in their confidence and comradery as they have forged a sisterhood that was not there before. These girls have made lasting memories and have developed skills to make them the future women leaders of the TCI.”
The show was hosted by K. Darron Turnquest, the former Deputy Director of Youth in the Bahamas. Mr. Turnquest’s energy lit up the room and was only topped by the stellar performance of the young queens. In the end, the top three were Nadelie Pierre, Miss Salt Cay as 2nd Runner Up; Sayanah Escoe, Miss Middle Caicos as 1st Runner Up; and Siobhan “Faith” Bowens, Miss Grand Turk who grabbed the title of Miss ECGYC 2021.
All contestants walked away with a plethora of prizes including, a $100 gift certificate from the Uniform Collection, a bouquet courtesy of Flowers by EA, a gift bag from Just Jais and a flight to any destination offered by InterCaribbean Airways. Ms. Ferguson mentioned, “Every girl is a winner and left feeling as such. We wanted to ensure that the pageant was not about competition but more about developing young leaders. In addition to the wonderful prizes that all of our contestants will receive, the queen will be responsible for the running of a club at the Youth Centre and being an overall ambassador. We look forward to all of the exciting future events we have planned for all of our young queens.”
The show was a resounding success, one which Ms. Ferguson attributes to the many sponsors who donated their time, expertise, and finances to making it possible. She said, “All sponsors made significant contributions in making this dream a reality. We are eternally grateful for the overwhelming response from the community, who have gone above and beyond. Our heartfelt thanks go to the Ritz Carlton Turks and Caicos for hosting us and we look forward to next year’s event.”
The Miss Edward C. Gartland Pageant was the fourth of its kind and organizers are enthusiastic about the prospects of next year’s show.
Photo Credit: Romello Williams of Romello Anarje Photography