It’s truly coming down to be the battle of the century, as a tight circle of amazing front runners begins to emerge as the top contenders to capture the “Miss Universe” crown and title. But it’s the stunningly beautiful, starry-eyed MIQUEAL-SYMONE WILLIAMS “Miss Jamaica” is positioned as the one to beat, as the keenly contested affair comes to a grand climax on May 16th, in the grand ballroom at the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe, Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Miqueal (pronounced MICHAEL) Symone has been touted as “The Black Barbie come to life.” by Vanity Fair’s George Wayne. Actor/model and Beauty Pageant aficionado Hector Lincoln said of Miqueal-Symone “Having worked with her and watched her mentor and advise young girls looking to get into the modeling industry, at a Caribbean Model Search Television show in Jamaica, I can easily say she’s the real deal. She is Miss Universe, beautiful inside and out.”

Miqueal-Symone was born in St Andrew, Jamaica 24 years ago and attended Immaculate Conception high school in Kingston. She pursued her bachelor’s degree in Marketing at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Kingston. At 21 she began her modeling career under the guidance of Pulse Model Management in Kingston, entering the international arena and working for renowned brand names like Armani, Valentino, and L’oreal. She’s worked in New York, Paris, London, and Spain. This young model has created ‘The Bloom Initiative’ – a project that provides internet access to children who cannot attend their online school classes, due to the lack of internet accessibility. This came about because of her passion for supporting and inspiring children and teenagers. She strongly believes that at that impressionable age, their mental health is of utmost importance and they should be made to feel loved. 

Everyone is excited to see the outcome of Miss Jamaica’s placement. Jamaica has never won a “Miss Universe” crown and title but has come very close on many occasions. Starting with Yendi Phillips who was the First runner-up in 2010; the fourth place with Kaci Fennell in 2014; the third place with Davina Bennett in 2017 and a top 20 placement with Emily Sara Jane Madison in 2018. Will this be the year when Jamaica brings the crown and title home?

fashionedits.com caught up with Miqueal-Symone as she prepared to fly to Florida, by way of a Q&A interview that went like this:

WALTER GREENE: I read that you had the famous pageant coach Lu Sierra train you for the Miss Universe pageant. Wouldn’t she have trained you anyway as the official pageant coach for all of the contestants? 

MIQUEAL-SYMONE WILLIAMS: “Lu Sierra is an amazing runway coach! I’m taking all the time I can get with her! (laughs) I’m also getting one-on-one experience with her now, which isn’t necessarily going to be the case when I get to the Miss Universe practices, so this time with her now may very well be different from the experience I will have with her in Hollywood, Florida.” 

W.G. What are you looking forward to the most when you get to Hollywood, Florida for the Miss Universe pageant?

M.S.W. “I’m looking forward to meeting the other delegates. Each of us is from a different country across the world, so our meeting will be a melting pot of cultures, that’s exciting! I’m going to get a chance to experience some cultures vicariously through the other contestants and of course get an opportunity to share some of my Jamaican cultures with them.” 

W.G. Do you know who will be your roommate?

M.S.W. “Not just yet, but I’m loving the suspense. I’m sure whoever my roommate is, we will get along well and be like sisters.”

W.G. What are you bringing to the Miss Universe pageant, that will make you stand out in the judges’ minds?

M.S.W. “I’ve had several experiences, such as the death of my mother, that have taught me the value of compassion. This, I believe, is one of my strongest attributes. I am compassionate and charming with an effervescent personality.” (laughs) 

W.G. What is your mindset, knowing that you will be competing with some 79 of the world’s top Beauty Queens?

M.S.W. “I am honored to be amongst women who are committed to empowering other women and influencing positive change in their countries and the world. The Miss Universe pageant is an excellent opportunity to meet and form bonds with women who are changemakers, the pageant is a conference for women empowerment. I feel lucky to be a part of that 79 and I know I’ll leave this experience as a changed woman.”  

W.G. Are you a competitive person?

M.S.W. “I’ve heard that I can be competitive. I’m a four-time unbeaten Monopoly winner. (laughs) I think competition is healthy if you approach it in the right context. Through competition, you can learn excellent values such as sportsmanship, humility, and camaraderie. No one is a loser if they consider the lesson they learned and how healthy competition can foster personal growth.”  

W.G. You are following in the footsteps of some amazing Miss Jamaica winners – Yendi Phillips, Kaci Fennell, Davina Bennett, Iana Tickle-Garcia, Emily Sara Jane Madison. Have any of them, or any other former Queens reached out to you with tips and advice?

M.S.W. “Yes! I’m beyond grateful to be the newest member of this sisterhood, many of them have reached out to me and given me their support, tips, and tricks for the upcoming pageant. They’ve all told me how precious this experience is. It’s once in a lifetime, so I plan to give it my all.”

W.G. Tell us about your team – Your glam squad? M.S.W. “I have an awesome team behind me, helping me in every aspect to achieve my goals for the Miss Universe pageant in May. My glam squad has been amazing at keeping my hair and make-up beautiful every time you see me. My make-up artist Oneil Baugh has been by my side from day one of the pageant getting me all glammed up for my interviews and appearances. An amazing person like him deserves a special shout-out.”  

W.G. How did winning the Miss Universe Jamaica title change your life?

M.S.W. “Winning the Miss Universe Jamaica title has given me the platform to speak on the issues that are near and dear to my heart, namely mental health especially in children. As a model I did not have the kind of platform that I now do, to speak about meaningful subject matters that affect me, my country, and the world. This is one of the biggest life changes that the Miss Universe Jamaica title has given me. I always had a voice, but now I have a megaphone.” 

W.G. Who is your favorite Miss Jamaica titleholder, and why?

M.S.W. “I couldn’t possibly give you just one. Three of my favorite Miss Universe Jamaica’s are YENDI PHILLIPS – The first time I watched the Miss Universe pageant as a child, Yendi Phillips was the delegate and I was immediately inspired. KACI FENNELL – Kaci is such classic beauty with a golden heart. She has been very supportive on my journey and I’m learning a lot from her. IANA TICKLE-GARCIA – As my immediate predecessor, Iana has been so supportive of me since I succeeded her. She is like a sister. We are very close and I think she is an amazing human being.” 

W.G. You’ve had some great modeling experiences, having worked in London, Paris, New York, Spain, etc. How can you use that experience effectively going into the Miss Universe pageant? 

M.S.W. “My modeling experience has helped me in pageantry but not in the way you may think. Having traveled to many countries, I’ve gotten to experience different cultures and connect with people who have different backgrounds and experiences. This has taught me the valuable lesson that we all express our emotions and feelings differently. My travels as a model have helped me to become a more tolerant and compassionate person because of this.”  

W.G. What does Miqueal-Symone do for fun?

M.S.W. “I am an introvert, so most of the things I find fun have to do with getting in some alone time. I love journaling and writing. Of course, I love binge-watching shows on Netflix (I’m 100% open to series recommendations) and I picked up baking as my quarantine skill, so every now and then I love to bake and make a day out of it.” 

W.G. What is your dream for the future?

M.S.W. “Outside of hopefully becoming the 69th Miss Universe, I am extremely interested in the field of Marketing, specifically social media marketing. My dream is to enter this field and hopefully, one day own my own social media marketing company.”