Yohance T. Smith and Anondah M. Hodge walked away with the title of Mister and Miss Junior BVI 2017/18 at the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall in Road Town on Saturday July 29, 2017. Photo: VINO

Kareem-Nelson Hull (left), chaperone for Yohance T. Smith (right), this year's 2017/18 Mr Junior BVI. Photo: VINO

Female contestants during the black and white segment at the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall in Road Town on Saturday July 29, 2017. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the black and white segment at the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall in Road Town on Saturday July 29, 2017. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the evening wear segment at the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall in Road Town on Saturday July 29, 2017. Photo: VINO

Male contestants during the evening wear segment at the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall in Road Town on Saturday July 29, 2017. Photo: VINO

From left: Dje'Moyia Smith, Miss Junior BVI 2016, Anondah M. Hodge, Miss Junior BVI 2017, Yohance T. Smith, Mr Junior BVI 2017 and Shemar Trim Mr Junior BVI 2016 after the crowning of the 2017/18 Mr and Miss Junior BVI. Photo: VINO

Female contestants during the swimwear segment at the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall in Road Town on Saturday July 29, 2017. Photo: VINO

Male contestants during the swimwear segment at the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall in Road Town on Saturday July 29, 2017. Photo: VINO

Female contestants during the talent segment at the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall in Road Town on Saturday July 29, 2017. Photo: VINO

Male contestants during the talent segment at the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall in Road Town on Saturday July 29, 2017. Photo: VINO

Hodge bagged the awards for Miss Photogenic, Miss Popularity, Miss Poised, Best Swimwear, Best Talent and Best Intellect.

The first runner-up went to Khadija Liburd, who received the award for Miss Congeniality, while contestant number two, Rosa Industrius was awarded Best Black and White Affair and Best Evening Wear.

Kenya Matthews was also a contestant in the Miss Junior BVI 2017.

Speaking to our news reporter following the crowning, Ms Hodge, currently a fifth form student at the Elmore Stout High School, stated that she felt happy and excited as the awards began to pour in.

“Right now I’m feeling happy. I’m excited…,” she remarked, adding that her hard work definitely paid off because she worked very hard in preparing for the pageant.

She further stated that, during her reign as Miss Junior BVI 2017/18, she intends to form a youth empowerment group for young girls that are experiencing abuse and those who grew up without a father and mother.

Clean sweep of awards for Yohance Smith

Meanwhile, contestant number one, Yohance T. Smith, made a sweep of the awards against the only other Mr Junior BVI contestant, Shamoy Davis, including Mr Photogenic, Mr Congeniality, Mr Popularity, Mr Poised, Best Talent, Best Black and White Affair, Best Swimwear, Best Intellect and Best Evening Wear.

Mr Smith said that he felt “ecstatic” and advises other young men to compete in the Mr Junior BVI if it is something that they really wish to do because males tend to shun pageants.

“They should do it for them and not for the crowd. Put their best foot forward and show their true self on stage.”

During the interview, Mr Smith explained that his platform will be social cohesion for sustainability of the Virgin Islands during his reign as Mr Junior BVI 2017/18.

He said, “I would like the community as a whole to work together so that we can sustain the resources that we have here in the British Virgin Islands in all aspects. I feel like individual work is a lot less impactful than having a whole community behind you, so once the community is under one mindset and work together to make the British Virgin Islands better, I think that would be very, very successful.”