Beauty pageantry is an opportunity to impact society ~ Miss Elegant, Oyo State

Miss Kehinde Mary Adeyemi, 500-level student of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso was among the young ladies that participated at the recently concluded Miss Oyo 2020. Though, she never won the main crown, she emerged as Oyo States’s Miss Elegant among the 21 participoants at the beauty pageant. This student of Anatomy that combines beauty, brain and elegance spoke about her experience, her passion and her advise for other aspiring beauty Queens, Excerpts.

What led to your interest in participating in a beauty pageant, considering that you are a science student?

As a young lady, I have always developed this interest in fashion, modelling and looking good all the time. I like taking pictures and always looking good at all times. In fact,um has always been my role model. She was and is always looking good and elegant. Everything about her dressing has to be complete. The right colours, shoes to match. So it was easy for me to pick from this while growing up

Was there any opposition from your parents when you indicated interest in participating in the pageant?
Not at all. They all supported me. My mum and dad were even atb the event. They came to cheer me. My sibblings and their friends were also at bthe event. They all canme to support me, I really have a good and supportive family. They gave me support knowing it is something I have always wanted.

How did you feel when you did not emerge the overall Queen?
I really was not too happy, but I still thank God that I got something out of it. You know we were about 21 participants and I feel really lucky to be among the top seven picked that day. Also, it is a starting point knowing that was my first attempt. I have the future ahead of me.
After graduation, do you plan to combine career with beauty pageant or you will face your career as an anatomist?
Let me tell you, my plan was actually to go for medicine, but when you consider the strike, you will agree with me that studying medicine in Nigeria would take forever. To your question, I have passion for beauty pageants and fashion. But the fact is that I may combine the two for the time being because I am still quite young. But it is also important to have a career to fall back on.
Are you planning to still participate in future beauty contests?

Yes, I plan to participate. Miss Oyo Beauty Pageant is a good platform. It is well received in Oyo State and the people behind it are people with integrity and the pageant is also respected. However, if the opportunity comes I may participate again. However, I still plan to look beyond that and participate in other pageants.
In what way would you use this opportunity to impact the society?
In life, everything is about opportunity and God has given me this opportunity. I should be willing to give back to the society in my own little way. This pageant is an opportunity to do that. During the pageant, I mentioned my passion to help in curbing the spread of HIV/AIDs virus in Oyo State and the country as a whole. This is an area I want to really focus on. That is what I plan to use this opportunity for, among other things on my mind.
Your last words on Beauty Pageant and the negative belief about it?
It is a good avenue to expose yourself to the society. But I will just say that some people see it as an avenue to exploit young ladies. In this case, nothing like that happened but one has heard such stories. But everything depends on you as an individual. You can not be forced to do what you do not want to do.