Aspiring doctor is Miss Guyana World 2011

Aug 02, 2011 News

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Aspiring medical doctor, Arti Cameron, was crowned Miss Guyana World 2011 late Saturday evening, winning the chance to represent Guyana at the Miss World pageant later this year in London – the same place Shakira Baksh gave Guyana its best results 44 years ago.
Arti, 22, was the favourite to win, and she not only ended up with the crown, but also with three of the four special prizes in the competition – Miss Body Beautiful, Best Gown (designed by ace Guyanese designer Michelle Cole), and Miss Photogenic, the latter voted online by members of the public.

Arti is currently pursuing a career in medicine. She recently completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Sciences (majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry).  She was preparing to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), a requirement for admission to medical school in the United States, when she joined the Miss Guyana World pageant.
The Miss Guyana World organizers are looking for Arti to bring back recognition on the international pageant scene – at least at Miss World. Shakira Baksh placed third in the competition in 1967, and then Pamela Lord placed fourth in 1969. Since then, Guyana has not been able to make its mark among the Top Five.
Of recent contestants, only Olive Gopaul in 2001 generated a buzz at Miss World when she participated in the competition in South Africa. She was a favourite among the international press and betting sites, but did not place among the finalists.
Arti won the 2011 competition at the National Cultural Centre after the talent, evening gown, and question and answer segments. All the scores from previous competitions were combined to give her the result. The swimsuit and intelligence segments of the pageant were held prior to Saturday evening.
In answering the final question, “What men could do to empower women?” she suggested that men could play a supportive role to women and encourage other men to promote equal opportunity for men and women. She also suggested that men help others to discourage abuse of women.
The other finalists were Utieka John, Celeste Dolphin and Soyini Fraser. Utieka John will represent Guyana at the Miss United Nations pageant in Tanzania; Celeste Dolphin will represent Guyana at Miss Caribbean World; and Soyini Fraser will represent Guyana at Princess of the World in the Czech Republic.
Fraser was the first runner-up, Celeste Dolphin was the second runner up and Utieka John was the third runner-up
The other two contestants were Ruqqayah Boyer, who won the talent competition with a dramatic poetry, and Siestra Dolphin.
Arti Cameron is expected to commence training shortly for the Miss World pageant which takes place in London on November 6.
So far, she has lived in three countries- Guyana, Jamaica, and the United States- and considers herself a world citizen.

She was born in Georgetown, Guyana, and attended Starters Nursery School and Sacred Heart Primary School prior to migrating to Jamaica

Once in Jamaica, she attended the Savanna-La-Mar Primary School and began assimilating

into the vibrant Jamaican culture. She quickly joined the school’s prestigious marching band as part of the cheer leading squad that was the flare and pride of her school, and she was part of that school’s dance group that won a prominent parish-level dance competition.

When she returned to Guyana in August 1999, she re-enrolled at her old school- Sacred Heart Primary. There she prepared for the Common

Entrance Exams and moved on to St. Joseph High School in 2000.

Her myriad extra-curricular activities at St. Joseph High served to enrich her academic life and she represented this school in many ways: she played netball, participated in Mashramani dance competitions, was chosen to be the first speaker on the school’s debating team, was elected president of the environmental student group- The Green Team; she won the 2003 Miss St. Joseph High School pageant (Junior Queen), modeled at school events, and passed nine subjects at the CXC O’level exams at one sitting.

Arti then moved on to Queen’s College just prior to migrating to the United States in December 2005.
Arti has always felt that her education in the Caribbean was second to none and quickly put this personal belief to the test. As a result, she graduated in July 2008, with an Associate Degree in Science with honours from LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), one of the top three community colleges in the US, according to a US national survey.
She was immersed into the rich diversity which LAGCC (dubbed “the world’s community college”) offered, with its variety of students coming from 160 countries. It was against this backdrop- and with a proud Caribbean secondary education–that Arti won a college-wide speech competition and a cash prize.
In addition, due to her stellar academic achievements, she was the recipient of several scholarships and grants. Arti was also elected president of the LAGCC Psychology Club and was further elected to the Student Advisory Council. Her name appeared on the Dean’s List on a regular basis.
Furthermore, she has published literary work in the college’s magazine, Literary LaGuardia.  In September 2008, Arti enrolled at her dream college, Hunter College.
While there, she volunteered at the Hospital for Special Surgery, a leading orthopedic hospital.
Since she was five-years old, Arti was raised in a single parent home by her father, Wilfred Cameron (a Guyanese media practitioner who is a former editor-in-chief and news anchor of GTV & NCN, a former editor and news anchor of News Update, and a founding reporter of The Evening News).
The team that helped Arti in her quest to become Miss Guyana World consisted of several talented persons, including an aspiring fashion designer from Namibia and a diplomat from Cote d’Ivoire, who manages several youth empowerment initiatives across the world under the United Nations (UNICEF).

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