Outstanding women get ‘Distinguished’ support

On Monday evening, an eclectic group of friends, family and well-wishers gathered at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston to support The Gleaner's Flair Magazine Distinguished Class of 2023.

While in awe of the feminine excellence in the room, the mothers and motivators of these distinguished women were in a class all their own. Miss United Nations 2022 Toni-Ann Lalor was honoured for excellence in agriculture, but the young farmer was unable to physically attend the ceremony. Appearing in her stead was her grandmother, Dorrell Cousins. Grinning from ear to ear, the matriarch tearfully shared her immense pride in her granddaughter.

"Oh, I am so proud. I am so very proud of her and it was a pleasure for me to come and accept her award," she told THE STAR with tears glistening in her eyes.

She explained that while she does claim some credit for Lalor's grace, her down-to-earth demeanour is the shared success of both herself and Lalor's mother Natasha Bucknor.

"I was always planting likkle flowers and stuff and her mother does likkle farming also, so it just blossomed," she said. "She's (Lalor) just awesome, blossoming. She's always in everything."

Similar to Lalor emulating women in her life, designer Sharon Gayle-Sahadeo also expressed her pride in being a role model for her daughter, Shamara Sahadeo, the Distinguished awardee in Fashion category.

"The word overwhelming might sound like a cliche but it is very overwhelming, 'cause you know I guess that's the same way my mother felt when she saw me taking after her footsteps. My mom sews, I sew and now she took it up," said Gayle-Sahadeo.

Recalling the last Grammys where reggae artiste Kabaka Pyramid, who was styled by Shamara, won the Best Reggae Album award, Gayle-Sahadeo told THE STAR, "We would always sit up and watch the Grammys at night and it was a very overwhelming to actually see something that my daughter has created on the Grammy stage. I'm very proud, I'm very proud you know."

Though Nadine DaCosta, mother of Godiva Golding, the Distinguished awardee for Science and Technology, is proud of her accomplishments, she said this is nothing strange for her beloved.

"It's the norm darling, and I can say this with all my senses, it's the norm. The trophy is just added to the trophy table at home. It's nothing strange. The only thing for me is that I'm just happy to see her elevate more and just ask her father's side of family, the prayer warriors, to send more prayers for her," she said.