AALYIA Cato, the newly crowned Miss UWI Mona 2022, says mental health will be the main focus during her reign.

“Our mental health is often overlooked. With my altruism project I hope to cater to the mental health of students on campus. I am really looking forward to launching the ‘Me First’ mental health campaign because mental health is important for us to be efficient in life,” Cato shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Cato, an actuarial science major who aspires to become an investment analyst, beat 11 other competitors for the crown in what is considered to be the most prestigious pageant among students of The University of the West Indies.

The coronation took place on April 15 inside the Assembly Hall at the Mona campus. Shavel Anglin and Deidre Wadsworth finished in second and third place, respectively.

Kemoy Perry is the director for the Miss UWI Mona pageant.

“The overall objective of the pageant was to find an ambassador for the university who possesses poise, beauty, and most importantly, intelligence. The ladies were judged on their talent, awareness, confidence, poise, public speaking ability and modelling ability,” said Perry.

Cato, who was the first runner-up in the 2022 Miss Towers pageant (another campus pageant), said her experience helped her to nab the Miss UWI Mona title.

“Pageantry is something I’ve always been interested in. I was just coming out of Miss Towers and I decided to enter because I believe I have a future in pageants,” she explained.

She added, “I believe my previous experience in a pageant gave me the edge. I am naturally a reserved person so this is me putting myself out there. It really was an amazing experience and I learnt a lot. I’ve also overcome my fear of public speaking.”

An avid table tennis player, Cato is from Clarks Town in Trelawny. She moved to Alexandria in St Ann where she attended the Westwood High School for Girls. She went to York Castle High in St Ann for sixth form.

Anglin, who finished in second place, considers herself an introvert.

“The reason why I entered the Miss UWI Mona pageant was because I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone — and that objective was definitely achieved. I was able to socialise more and meet other people,” she said.

She too is a former student of the Westwood High School for Girls and York Castle High School.

Anglin aspires to become a doctor and later on, a pathologist. She is pursuing a three-year programme in biochemistry.

Wadsworth, who finished in third place, says participating in the Miss UWI Mona pageant is a moment that she will remember for a lifetime.

“The experience was completely out of my comfort zone. I believe it was a life-changing experience,” said the cultural and creative industries major.

She reigns as Miss Humanities (an online pageant) as well for the academic year.

“My university experience has been a rough one and I felt that this platform would’ve allowed me to be a voice for others. My personality is one of my biggest assets, and the pageant allowed me to build relationships with others,” commented Wadsworth.