Ambitious, self-driven dental student, Jelena is 1st Runner Up 2023 Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant

21-Year-Old Jelena Da Silva is an ambitious and self-driven individual with a passion for education and personal development.

She hails from Karrau Creek, Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) –  a place surrounded by trees and water so it’s almost second to nature for her to have an adventurous spirit.

Jelena’s educational journey commenced at the Three Miles Secondary School where she copped 7 CSEC subjects. She also holds a Data Operations certificate, Entrepreneurial Studies Certificate and is also a phlebotomy technician. Currently, Da Silva attends the Cheddi Jagan Dental School to pursue a career in dentistry.

When asked why she chose a career in dentistry, she said, “Wanting to give people the confidence to smile freely fuelled my desire to pursue a career in dentistry.”

Besides her academic pursuits, Jelena is involved in various activities; where she serves as a youth ambassador for Empower Guyana, the Vice Chair of the Karrau Women’s Group and she recently became a member of the US- Embassy-Youth Action Network (YAN).

Jelena is described as a passionate, energetic and vibrant girl, as she approaches life with enthusiasm and unwavering desire to make a positive impact.

When asked why she joined pageantry, she noted that she always wanted to be an agent of change and not just any change, but a change that must have a positive effect on people’s lives and she saw that with pageantry.

“It could be done so that is why I decided to join pageantry; a platform that uplifts and empower young hearts and minds that may be on the same part as you,” she added.

She was crowned Miss Cuyuni/Mazaruni in 2019.

Da Silva was a delegate at the recently concluded 2023 Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant, where she was named 1^st runner-up of the said pageant.

Juggling both school and pageantry was a tough one for her, as there were times when she had exams during those periods of where she had to be travelling back and forth from Bartica to Georgetown and still had to be up studying, and at the same time she prepared for the events that were upcoming up for the Bartica Regatta pageant.

“Well, a question that just happened to pop up in my mind coming down to the last weeks of the pageant that prepared me for both winning and not winning. The question was ‘what would you do if you don’t win the crown’ and I thought about it for some time and then I came to the realisation that a crown is just a crown and without it I’ll still be a youth ambassador for Empower Guyana, the vice chair of the Karrau women’s group and a member of the US Embassy Youth Action Network, I’ll still be  out here making an impact either way so at that moment I was just about prepared for anything and I’m so proud that I was able to do that,” she posited when asked about accomplishments she is proud of.

“I believe that this title is the result of my much courage and hard work. I worked really hard and here I am satisfied with this title,” Da Silva told this publication when asked about how she feels being named 1st runner-up of the  2023 Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant.

“Know that you can work very hard for what you want, spend sleepless nights up preparing for a big moment, and in the end somehow it was as if you didn’t prepare at all but this may not be a fault of your own but the fault of someone who feared what they saw in you, the fault of someone who saw great things and great potential but choose not to recognise it, all because they feared YOU being YOU……so remember to stay very far away from those people and the ones who would speak defeat to you ……do not let that negativity seep into your soul and contaminate your mind for It will steer you into a direction that will take you off track. So, find yourself among the ones who will pour nothing but positivity into your spirit,” is Jelena’s advice for youth women.