Shivern returns from Miss Universe

Returning not with a crown, but with the invaluable experience of the prestigious Miss Universe Pageant, this country’s representative 21-year-old Shivern Peters arrived on Tuesday July 25 at the E.T. Joshua Airport.

After being hugged by members of the Beauty Shows Committee and her family, Shivern in a press conference at the VIP lounge promised to train other young ladies who were aspiring to become Beauty Queens.{{more}}

The elated representative said, “I’ve been on the World stage and now I can bring my experience to St.Vincent and the Grenadines. From the beginning I didn’t have an easy time especially with the Vincentian public but people are generally very critical when you are on stage.

Hopefully, my 19-year-old sister, Shanique, will be going in for Miss SVG next year and I will be chaperoning her, but if anybody wants to come to me for advice whether it’s talent or whatever I am always here.”

Asked to describe a memorable moment, Shivern admitted that she had two, one being when she toured Universal Studios and the other when she went to a basketball game where she met several celebrities.

Shivern explained, “I saw people whom I never thought that I would see in this lifetime or the next. People who I only saw on TV, I saw them in reality, stars like Brandy, Snoop Dog and Usher, but what I cherish most was a conversation I had with Magic Johnson. I told him that he was doing a great job with ghetto children and HIV/AIDS which is the official cause of the Miss Universe Pageant.”

Admitting that she bonded with many of the girls especially those from the Caribbean, Shivern remarked, “I congratulate Miss Puerto Rico for winning the title. I believe that we all represented ourselves well. I made many friends, who at times thought I was crazy but in a passionate way. Fourteen other Caribbean contestants and I were all like sisters throughout the three weeks spent in California. They all voted for me to be Miss Congeniality but unfortunately it was not enough to get the title.”

Shivern also believed that the judges too fell in love with her fun-loving personality and her costumes, specifically the one which depicted what other contestants described as the “Devil Woman” or “Goddess”, or in colloquial terms, “La Jabless.”

Shivern confidently said, “Looks was never a problem for me because I was told by numerous people that I was very beautiful. As for the interviews, I knew I was ready for anything because I was trained by the best here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. So thanks to the Committee for believing in me.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Culture Rene` Baptiste said she was pleased with the Shivern’s performance and to see St.Vincent and the Grenadines on the world stage again. She said 86 countries were represented at the prestigious pageant and the effort to get Shivern on that world stage was well worth it.

She also commended Shivern’s chaperon and designer Alex Grant on her unique portrayal of the “La Jabless” which she called a fantastic idea of the folklore and heritage of the country.

Her mother Shermon Peters thanked the Beauty Shows Committee for working with her daughter to ensure that she reached thus far.

She confessed, “Shivern is a crazy one, but I love her still. She got many “cabs” on her bottom when she was growing because when I sent her to buy bread she would be kicking ball on the park or playing cricket in the road with the bread in her hand. She has turned into a beautiful young lady,.She is a princess no longer a little Tom Boy and the committee has done a wonderful job.”