Miss UVI 2013-2014 Murchtricia Charles is one week away from competing in the 2013 National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Queens pageant. The competition will be held from Sept. 25 to Sept. 29, in Atlanta, Ga., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Charles will compete against 29 college queens from HBCU’s around the country.
“I have not been more nervous for an event in my life; however, it is exhilarating at the same time,” Charles said of the Miss Hall of Fame competition. She has been training with her chaperones, Cherie Wheatley and Leon Lafond, and with former Miss UVI Lisa Wynn-Magnuson. “My nerves are not only a product of Miss NBCA Hall of Fame being my first national pageant, but it also stems from trying my best to make UVI and the Virgin Islands as a whole proud,” she said. “I am truly looking forward to this experience and I will try my best to bring back the crown.”
Lafond is confident that Charles is ready. “I do feel that Ms. Charles is prepared and ready to represent the University to the best of her ability at this competition,” he said. “She is a fast learner and possesses all the qualities of a queen.”
The NBCA queen contestants are judged in four categories, including talent, poise, image and personal and private interviews where the contestant has up to two minutes to introduce herself and discuss her platform. The woman crowned Miss NBCA will serve as a national representative and advocate of HBCUs, and will receive an academic scholarship and other prizes.
“The competition provides an opportunity for young women attending our nation’s HBCUs to better prepare for the future,” said Lafond. “Though the program places emphasis on excellence, achievement and personal growth, it also strives to make this experience fun.”
The NBCA queens competition is sponsored by the NCBA Hall of Fame organization, which is dedicated to the growth and development of HBCUs through scholarships, internships, training and technical assistance, alumni recognition, and programs to encourage humanitarian involvement.
For more information contact UVI Student Activities Supervisor Leon Lafond at (340) 693-1111.