In the world of pageantry, it can be very difficult to decipher who is sycophantic and pretentious from those who are genuine. Every pageant girl postulates the notion that they are deeply invested in the empowerment of women but it’s only natural to question the integrity of some of these claims.
Mental health has become a buzzword in mainstream marketing and likewise for pageant contestants; all claiming that their efforts are rooted in the desire to help women improve their mental health. In this year’s Miss Universe Jamaica Pageant, one young woman has captivated the hearts of the masses already and her name is Lianne Fullwood.
“From a young age, I was destined to be in the Miss Universe Jamaica Pageant. I have always had a deep routed passion and love for Jamaica. My parents worked hard to ensure I spent most of my childhood exploring the island and falling more in love with our beautiful sceneries, wonderful people and diverse culture. I want to use my platform as Hyundai Miss Universe Jamaica to show my people especially children, that broken gems still sparkle and an out flame can be relit. I spent the last few years trying to cope and coexist with grief and mental health struggles. I had to understand and accept a lot of loss at a young age, but my hardest years were between 2020-2023 as we had around 14 deaths in our family.”
Revered for her polished image and mesmeric eyes, Lianne stands out amongst the 30 other women, in this year’s Miss Universe Jamaica pageant. Lily as she is more affectionately known, is a genuine advocate for women’s rights and mental health. Having studied political science at the University of Prince Edward Island, Lianne has a broader sociocultural view of the world, that fuels her genuine desire to see women overcome the pervasive trauma that the Western, patriarchal society has inflicted on our young women. Her recent lead role Aidonia’s new visual for his trendy summer track ‘We Doh Regular’ has tremendously bolstered her popularity in the space, at a critical time.
“Attempting to navigate life whilst seeing so much loss had left me in a sunken place. This year after losing a close family friend to his mental health battle, I decided I couldn’t let mine win. Told myself this year I am going to fight back. I decided to be ten times more appreciative of life and I want to use this platform to show everyone dealing with mental health issues, how intentional we must be in the kindness and grace we offer ourselves. I am also a strong advocate for women in society creating and protecting safe sisterhoods where we advocate and support each other. I want to be an example for the women of what it is to be your sister’s keeper and the empathy we must offer each other.”
Lianne is fearless in standing in the discomfort of her privilege and oozes passion for modelling, pageantry, and people. Her exhilarating eyes, warm spirit, and polished style have already made her a favourite for the title. Jamaica would be well represented by Lianne, at the global stage and we are confident she will matriculate well throughout the tedious course of the pageant.
