On Sunday, Ashley Gabriel of St. Thomas was crowned Miss Virgin Islands 2014. Gabriel will go on to compete in the Miss America Scholarship Competition, which is the world’s largest source of scholarship funding for young women. Her predecessor was Miss Virgin Islands 2013 Ashley Massiah.
Elements
Mirroring the Miss America Scholarship Competition, the contest was composed of four elements: pre-show interview, lifestyle / fitness in swimwear, talent and evening gown.
Contestants
Lluvia Arrendell (age 18) of St. Croix sang and played piano for her talent. Her platform was empowering women: mind, body and soul.
Chelsea Herman (age 22) of St. Thomas danced for her talent. Her platform was empowering youth through dance education. She won the VI Choice Award by receiving the most YouTube likes on her pre-show video. Herman was also given a community service award for contributing the most hours to her island community.
Ashley Gabriel (age 19) of St. Thomas sang for her talent. Her platform was the importance of early childhood development. She was crowned Miss Virgin Islands 2014, winning $9400 in scholarship funds. Gabriel won both the talent and interview portions of the contest. She was also honored with a scholarship award for having the highest grade point average among the contestants.
Isabella Sylvester (age 23) of St. Croix also sang for her talent. Her platform was bullying and harassment: the harmful effects. She was deemed first runner-up, winning a $1000 scholarship. Sylvester also won the Miracle Maker Award, as she raised the most donations for Children’s Miracle Network.
Judges / Auditors
The competition was judged by Augustin Holder; Delreese Brown; Carla Bastian; Robert Bachelor; and Davina Martinez. Results were audited by Pauline Williams and Juel Mills.
Sponsors
Miss Virgin Islands 2014 was made possible by platinum sponsors Seaborne Airlines; GBZ Entertainment; U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; WSVI-TV Channel 8; Cuthbert Victor; Crucian Gold; and JSlide Photography.
These ladies are ready for the swimsuit competition year-round living in the tropics.
Ready to join them on our island’s beautiful beaches?
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