Our girl at Miss Universe

"Taken from our F E A T U R E S section."

KENISHA THOM, 22, Miss Trinidad and Tobago at this year’s Miss Universe pageant to be held in Los Angeles on Sunday, promised her supporters through a long distance interview with Newsday yesterday, that she is going to do her best at the pageant.

Asked how she felt about Sunday’s finals, Thom said: “I feel very prepared. I’ve left it in God’s hands. Sometimes you want something so bad, but whatever God decides, would be best for me. I am going to do my best.”

Thom said she’s been “going good” so far and she has been receiving a lot of support from many in Los Angeles. “The most important thing is to remain calm and that is what I’m trying to do, although I wasn’t calm last night at the costume competition...but it still went good for me, the crowd response was good,” Thom said.

For the costume competition on Tuesday, Thom wore a butterfly costume designed by Sandra Hordatt. The results of that segment of the contest will be announced on Sunday night. Thom, who is an Accounting Technician, is inspired to follow in the footsteps of Penny Commissiong (Miss Universe 1977) and Wendy Fitzwilliam (Miss Universe 1998).

In Los Angeles, she has the support of her parents Gregory and Sinita Thom, brother Keilon, and Thom’s significant other Cory Selvon.

Thom was high in praise for local pageant franchise holder Peter Elias and his team for the work they did to get her to the competition level.

Judges for the finals are Miss Universe 2003 Amelia Vega, legendary actress Bo Derek, Miss USA 1997 finalist Claudia Jordan, ex-Dallas Cowboys football star Emmitt Smith, actor James Lesure, journalist Maria Celeste Arraras, fashion photographer Patrick McMullan, Santino Rice and The Apprentice television series winner Sean Yazbeck. Sunday’s Finals is scheduled to start at 9 pm (TT time).