Miss UVI 2014-2015 Elisa Thomas will compete in the 2014 National Black College Alumni (NBCA) Hall of Fame Queens pageant from Sept. 24 to Sept. 28, in Atlanta, Ga., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Thomas will compete against 29 college queens from Historically Black Colleges and University’s (HBCU) around the country for the title of Miss NBCA Hall of Fame.
“I am excited to compete in the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Competition,” said Thomas. “I am 100 percent ready. I am going to go with God and go out there and do my best. Hopefully, I will be able to bring home the crown for UVI.”
UVI Student Activities Supervisor Leon Lafond and UVI Chaperone Marisel Melendez will accompany Thomas to the competition. “I am confident that Miss UVI will have a wonderful experience at the competition,” said Lafond. “It is my hope that her interaction with the other college queens will allow her to enhance her networking abilities. We are optimistic that she will return with the Miss NBCA Hall of Fame crown.”
While participating in the competition, Thomas hopes to raise awareness of her domestic violence platform, which she presented at the Miss UVI competition. She will also build relationships with other movers and shakers from other HBCUs, and participate in the various workshops that will help to promote school pride and empowerment.
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.