Mickalia Forrester-Ewen, a younger, fledging actress, who was born in Brooklyn to a Grenadian mom, was topped Miss Grenada USA 2023 Saturday night time in the course of the 28th anniversary of the wonder pageant organized by the Brooklyn-based Grenadian-American Ex-Lecturers’ Affiliation, Inc.
Forrester-Ewen, 25, snatched the crown, from 4 different contestants, earlier than an ebullient, standing-room-only, viewers within the Founder’s Auditorium at Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers Faculty, Metropolis College of New York (CUNY).
She was topped by final 12 months’s inaugural Over 50 Queen, St. Lucian Sharon Eutrice Willie. That pageant was additionally organized by the Grenadian-American Ex-Lecturers’ Affiliation.
On her technique to attaining the coveted title, Forrester-Ewen, Contestant #5, additionally gained Greatest Introduction, Greatest Swimwear and Greatest Artistic.
Contestant #3, Tyler Jade Phillip, 19, took the primary runner-up spot; and Contestant #1, Britney Charles, 23, was second runner-up.
Phillip was additionally adjudged Greatest Performing Expertise; Contestant #4, Rhea Catherine Date, 20, gained the Greatest Night Put on; and Contestant #2, Atilyah McEwen, 23, was voted Miss Congeniality.
The contestants have been judged on Introduction, Swimwear, Nationwide Gown, Query and Reply, Expertise and Night Put on.
“It’s an honor to put on the Miss Grenada USA Crown and to be delegated with the duty of representing the attractive ‘Isle of Spice’, Grenada,” Forrester-Ewen – a Brooklyn native, whose mom, Donna Joanne Forrester, hails from Birch Grove, St. Andrew, Grenada – informed Caribbean Life in a post-show interview.
“Though I appeared calm and pleased in the course of the win, the entire consideration was a bit scary,” she added. “Nonetheless, it was my household and their assist that allowed my anxieties to vanish, and allowed me to have some enjoyable and be pleased with myself.
“Additional on, I used to be blessed to satisfy the opposite contestants, who impressed me by the laborious work and dedication they put in in the course of the pageant,” Forrester-Ewen continued.
Within the Introduction section, she stated she “actually wished to show” her persona and “particularly who I’m as a Brooklyn-born younger lady of Grenadian descent.
“I really like making individuals pleased and chuckle, and I assumed I did so with my introduction,” Forrester-Ewen stated. “I additionally wished to debate my ardour and my private mission in life.”
She stated whether or not or not she had acquired the crown, her purpose is to signify Grenada within the leisure trade by means of efficiency and manufacturing.
Forrester-Ewen is a graduate of New York College Tisch College of the Arts, the place she obtained a Bachelor of High-quality Arts in Theatre Arts, with a minor in manufacturing.
“From my learnings at college, I spotted how crucial media was in formulating a society, creating empathy and educating schooling on various cultures,” she stated. “I at all times longed to see Grenadians in tv, motion pictures and all sorts of media, as a result of I wished that stage of significance and wished the world to see how stunning my mom’s mainland was. I knew I wished to be a pressure in creating a light-weight for Grenada within the media.”
Forrester-Ewen stated certainly one of her most up-to-date tasks contains The Toast, of which she acquired funding to create this “private ardour challenge.”
The Toast is a digital interview sequence that highlights Afro-Caribbean meals creatives, primarily based in New York Metropolis, which current tales about their positions within the meals trade, and the way their Caribbean id has affected their course of in constructing and remodeling their meals careers.
“I hope my ardour challenge will elevate the minds of my viewers by permitting them to have entry and publicity to new palates and new mindsets about Caribbean meals, tradition and historical past,” Forrester-Ewen stated. “I’m at the moment in post-production, and I can’t wait to share the sequence.”
A few of her current works additionally embrace performing in New Amsterdam (CBS), The Greatest Man: Remaining Chapter sequence (Peacock) and on the quick movie Cousins, which was featured within the Caribbean Beat journal and was performed on Jet Blue Airline flights.
Forrester-Ewen stated she recorded three pilots inside the previous two years, certainly one of which is being thought of by Warner Bros.
“I pray for the present’s success as a result of this can give me the chance to push my Grenadian tradition within the author’s room and, in fact, with my general presence,” she stated. “Though I’ve simply began my performing profession, I’ve the tenacity, talent and keenness for what I do. So, I do know I’ll make it far and can carry Grenada with me.
“Whereas I work on attaining my goals, I’ll proceed to assist Grenada, and I’ll proceed to push my nation in any room I’m in and can formulate ties with movie festivals, performers and manufacturing firms to push my ‘Spice’ concepts to the forefront,” Forrester-Ewen added. “I hope my future work reveals Grenadians, younger and outdated, that we at all times have an opportunity, and that we’re highly effective and need to be seen and we need to dream large.”
Believing that crimson is essentially the most distinguished colour on the Grenada flag, Forrester-Ewen stated she was “elated” when she and the opposite 4 contestants have been capable of “rock that crimson bathing swimsuit on stage” in the course of the Swimwear section.
“I wished my presence to signify my fierce magnificence, my unwavering confidence, my plain energy and power that I attempt to use daily in life as a result of this encourages me to by no means hand over,” she stated. “I imagine that I embodied the wonder and resilience that outline each Grenada and the colour crimson.”
For Artistic, Forrester-Ewen stated that as quickly as she found that there was a inventive nationwide costume section, she grabbed pencil and paper, and began designing.
“I knew from the beginning I wished a ‘Shortknee-inspired’ costume,” she stated, disclosing that she drew the ruffles, which have been impressed by the multi-color pantaloons the masqueraders would put on.
Forrester-Ewen stated she added bells on her toes to signify the willows, adorned her shirt with bells and borrowed the Shortknee masks from a household good friend “to place the entire look collectively.”
The costume was designed by Kingsley Chukwuocha.
“I actually wished to painting the ‘Shortknee’ costume completely to verify I made my Grenadians proud,” Forrester-Ewen stated. “Though it was troublesome to search out loads of historical past in regards to the ‘Shortknee’, I used to be proud to signify a dressing up that displays again to Grenadian tradition and our group’s battle for liberation.
“Typically, you are feeling like your laborious work won’t ever be acknowledged, however I’m pleased my work with my inventive costume was acknowledged in that second,” she added.
On Expertise, Forrester-Ewen stated the very first thing she considered singing for the Miss Grenada Pageant was the music “Folks Speak”, a soulful reggae tune that, she stated, she likes to sing “as a result of it jogs my memory to disregard the negativity life presents, and to deal with the positivity as an alternative.
“The music additionally encourages me to take dangers and be myself, it doesn’t matter what anybody thinks,” she stated. “I really like singing, but it surely terrifies me. However I’m pleased I took that threat as a result of I really feel prefer it spreads such an crucial message pertaining to the negativity we might obtain in the course of the pageant and the negativity we might obtain in on a regular basis life.”
Forrester-Ewen stated her Night Robe “toned down the spice I used to be giving all night time and allowed the viewers to see my essence of grace and femininity, which additionally defines my womanhood.
“I wished my costume to be adorned with flowers as a result of they remind me of development, kindness and heat – the entire issues which might be very important to attach our Grenadian group,” she stated.
“I cherished having the chance to unfold my goals to the viewers,” she added. “It gave me a stronger platform, and allowed my group and assist to develop even bigger. I additionally imagine it gave individuals hope understanding that there are individuals nonetheless on the market, particularly younger individuals, particularly individuals who weren’t born in Grenada, preventing for Grenadians’ mild and mainstream illustration.”
The younger, fledging actress stated her expertise with the pageant “can open doorways” for her, hoping that her work within the leisure trade will open doorways for Grenada, as properly.
She expressed particular because of her Birch Grove Household; the Forresters; David Williams Funeral Service and the Hosten Funeral Service, her sponsors; and the Grenadian-American Ex-Lecturers’ Affiliation.
“To Cicely Mason [president] and the whole workforce, I admire the chance and hope that the group discovers simpler methods to assist and honor its contributors and winners,” Forrester-Ewen stated.
“As a younger lady, I am keen on the unwavering assist of my Grenadian group and can proceed to contribute to its development,” she added.
Impressed by Mason, the Miss Grenada USA Pageant began in 1992.
“At this time marks the 28th Anniversary of the Miss Grenada USA Pageant,” stated Mason within the memento journal. “It’s also the primary pageant since our world was turned upside-down by the pandemic. So, it is just that our theme for the Miss Grenada USA Pageant 2023 is ‘Preserving Our Tradition.’”
