This Week We Feature Young Professional Monique C. Chapdelaine
Meet 32-year-old Monique C. Chapdelaine, our Young Professional for this week; an accomplished singer, beauty queen, mother of two, VI-Idol winner and successful businesswoman.
Born in Fort Riley, Kansas, USA to a Virgin Islander mother Elaine I. Blyden and American father Norman R. Chapdelaine, Monique has just made the Virgin Islands proud by winning the talent contest VI-Idol in the United States Virgin Islands some weeks ago.
However, even though a phenomenal talent in singing, there is a lot more to her as she told us of her interesting childhood during which she moved around a lot.
“Being that I was a ‘military brat’ as they refer to kids of military parents, I went to many schools,” said our Young Professional. “I first started school at Road Town Infant School (now known as Enid Scatliffe), left, moved back to the States attended quite a few private schools until my mother retired from the military and we moved permanently to the BVI so I thought,” said Monique.
“Once back, I attended the Ivan Dawson Primary School where I passed the Primary Five exams and went on to the BVI High School (now known as Elmore Stoutt High School),” she said.
Monique said that she began singing as a child. “While in Georgia I was an active member in my church St. Paul AME and also in the church choir and school and the community choir where we travelled to different venues,” said Monique.
“While at the BVI High School my passion for singing transitioned into participating in local pageants. I competed for my first pageant in 1996 which was Miss Hal Jackson Talented Teens where I captured the title,” said Monique.
“I attended the BVI High School up until Third Form and moved back to the States with my father and graduated High School from Macon County High School in Montezuma, Georgia,” she said.
“My favourite subjects in the beginning were Math and English. I had a passion for writing stories. [During my] high school years the classes I enjoyed were Physics, Economics, Home Economics and Music,” she said.
“The frame of mind that I was in before I graduated high school was that I was looking forward more to getting into the workforce then college but decided to try my hand at college,” said Monique.
She said that upon graduating from high school she applied and got accepted to The University of the Virgin Islands where she was pursuing a degree in Psychology. “But halfway through I became pregnant with my first daughter. I took a break from my studies to raise my daughter and I relocated back to Tortola where I started work at Barclay’s Bank,” she said.
She noted that pageantry once again came her way. “I competed in a plus size pageant entitled De Elegant Miss 2003 capturing the title. The following year competed in Miss Bold and Beautiful Caribbean 2004 also capturing that title,” she said.
Our Young Professional noted that in that same year she competed in Miss International Bold and Beautiful 2004 in St. Thomas capturing the 2nd runner-up position but leaving a very lasting impression in people’s minds.
However, her latest accomplishment came just weeks ago in St. Thomas, where she came out on top in the VI-Idol competition, a talent show modelled on the popular American Idol.
“I have competed in the 2014 VI-Idol competition where I was successful in winning the title becoming the first BVI representative to win. An achievement of this magnitude has been a long time coming and I am thankful to God for blessing me with this talent. Also, [I am] thankful to Alvin Marks of LP Entertainment for establishing this avenue for up and coming artists to express their talents to not only the Virgin Islands but internationally,” said our Young Professional.
Monique currently works at Skelton Concrete as the Office Supervisor/Administrative Officer. She said that since moving back to the Territory she has had various jobs until she started the current one.
“I love my job especially being the only female and can keep up with the ‘big boys’. To be honest college gives you the basic needs of what to look forward to in the work field but working hands on is what fully prepares you for the challenges ahead,” she said.
Monique is currently pursuing a degree in Business Management online. “In addition to my career me and my business partner Germaine Huggins have started our own company named A+ Autos Mobile and used tire services. We provide services such as superior tinting, car washing, oil changing, brakes changing, road side assistance for minor issues i.e. tire flat, battery problems etc.,” she said.
In terms of leisure activities, Moniques is involved in swimming, tennis, baseball, and loves enjoying as much free time with her children as possible.
“Many a time I have conversations with young people especially those who have had kids early in life or who have gone down the wrong path and discouraged that there’s nothing they can do now. It is never too late to get your life together. The path to success has to start within you because no one can keep you from achieving your dream but yourself,” she advises.
“If you have a passion for something don’t be afraid to go for it, keep God in everything you do, as Matthew 7:7 says: ‘Ask and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you,’” she said.
Monique is however concerned about the lack of support for artists locally. “We shouldn’t have to establish a name for ourselves in the outside world in order to get recognition in our own country. That push should start at home, having to remind them that this is someone that is representing all of us as an entity, so we should want our BVI representative to be portrayed in a positive light from the foundation,” said Monique.
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