Amryl Nurse truly stands out at Miss Earth

The first runner-up was Keone Applewhite of Gasparillo and second runner-up was Sheriza Ali of Freeport. The Miss Photogenic title went to Varesha Ramnath and Best Talent went to Sherrice Andrews with Karissa Britton winning the Best Evening Gown. At the crowing ceremony, CEO and pageant director, Vanessa Sahatoo Manoo, thanked Dr Joth Singh, CEO of the EMA, for continued support in recognising the importance of crowning a Miss Oneness TT, also known as Miss Earth.

“The reason for the pageant is to bring awareness to the Earth on the whole and environment in which we live,” Manoo said.

She also recognised the renowned designer of Nicaragua, Erick Bendana, who came to TT for the pageant. Erick was responsible for designing the outfits for the women. Having taken the crown at this pageant, a proud Amryl spoke to Newsday about her success.

“I solely give credit for this win to my parents as they allowed me the freedom of expression while growing up,” she said, adding that her parents Cladia (now deceased) and Alburn allowed her to try whatever made her happy. This, she said, made her realise she should not try to fit in, when she was made to stand out.

“They gave me stability, support and taught me that everything is possible through Christ who strengthens me,” she said.

She strongly recommends beauty pageants for other girls, as they help in finding the real beauty from within. Amryl attended St Mary's Anglican Primary School and Bishop Anstey High School East and later the School of Accounting and Management where she attained her Bachelor’s degree in business management. She now works as a dispatcher at Columbus Communication (Flow). Talking about the pageant, she said, “It was a challenge, balancing regular life and trying to do my best in the pageant, not to mention all the girls were beautiful and smart. On the actual night of the pageant I just showed who I was genuinely. Overall it was not hard but took major commitment. I have definitely learnt that persistence, hard work, dreams and faith in God are all you need to be successful in life. I have also learnt to deal with pressure a lot better and balance everything that may come at once.” Amryl is a member of Shashamane Sunrise, a charity geared toward educating children. Her passion is acting. She participated in the UWI Film Festival with director Jimmel Daniel. In the world of modelling she looks up to Tyra Banks. “We share a similar story in terms of self- esteem whilst growing up,” she said.