SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Khadeen Johnson (Miss Danreg Fashions & Accessories) — a student of Glenmuir High School in Clarendon – won the 2015/16 Miss Teen Jamaica contest in a close race for the 35th anniversary title, recently.

Johnson who listed her hobbies as writing, reading and art, says she wants to become a lawyer like her role model, parliamentarian K D Knight.

She beat a field of 15 high school peers to win the title held at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston. She also won a sectional prize for “most intelligent”, for which she received the Rodney Sinclair trophy.

She was crowned by Miss Teen Jamaica 2014/15 Campion College sixth former Meca-Gaye Francis, who was very dignified in passing the baton.

“It is sad to say goodbye to the crown but it was wonderful to have been Miss Teen Jamaica,” she told the audience before placing the crown on Johnson’s head.

The other top five placements went to: first runner-up Rosan Samuels (Miss GK Motors), who attends St George’s College Sixth Form; second runner up Kimberley Stewart (Miss Lily’s Beauty Barn) of Excelsior Community College; third runner-up Leighashley Dunbar (Miss Charles Chocolate) of Oberlin High in rural St Andrew; and fifth placed Rene Curtis (Miss Singer) of Merle Grove High.

Top prizes in the competition, which was started in 1981 as Miss Jamaica Teenager by J’Sin Promotions, was $1 million worth of scholarships from the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) in New Kingston. The winner received a $500,000 UCC scholarship, plus a trip to the United States from the promoters. The first runner-up was awarded a $300,000 scholarship and the second runner-up got a $200,000 scholarship.

The finals featured top dub poet Keith Shepherd and former Digicel Rising Star runner-up, Nekiesha Barnes as well as aspiring deejays Ironside and Danny Stretch. MC was Kool FM’s DJ Phoenix.

All 16 finalists received a trophy for participating, as well as gift baskets from Charles Chocolate and Seprod’s Miracle products. Other sponsors included Singer Jamaica and GK Motors.

The judges were: bank manager Kevin McDonald; attorney-at-law, Carol Dacosta; businessman Patrick Dennis; businesswoman Gleneva Blair; Nyanda Dixon, Miss Teen Jamaica 2013/14; Rachel Mitchell, teenaged student; Renae Wilson, Miss Teen Jamaica, 2010/11; and JDF officer Ferdinand Trench.

The elimination and sashing of the contestants took place at the New Kingston Conference Centre inside the New Kingston Shopping Mall Dominica Drive.