Miss Jamaica Festival Queen gets Key to Spanish Town

Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Aundrene Cameron, a law student at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, was presented with the Key to Spanish Town by Mayor Norman Scott last Friday.

Cameron, who was crowned on August 1, is the third national queen from St Catherine, after Dahlia Harris in 1990 and Khamara Wright in 2019. She expressed appreciation for the reception, and vouched to do her best during her reign.

"My project will be to teach young women how to defend themselves. They need to know what to do if they are attacked," Cameron told THE STAR. "It is a project close to my heart and will be put in train shortly."

CEO of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation, Andre Griffiths, said that the special event highlighted the significance of the reign.

"It is not regularly that we have a civic ceremony, so having the queen here is a great feel," Griffiths said.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Spanish Town Norman Scott said that each time the queen's name is mentioned, it will be synonymous with the parish.

"We have come a long way, and we are pleased to have her celebrating with us today," he said. The day's activities, which was organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, saw the queen making several courtesy calls throughout the parish.

Cameron, who has a deep love for volunteerism, nation-building, advocacy and women's rights, is the 2023 valedictorian from the Faculty of Law.

According to The UWI, "As a student in the Faculty of Law, she demonstrated remarkable leadership skills and a commitment to making a positive impact on her community. She was recently crowned both the Miss St Catherine Festival Queen, and the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen for 2023. These titles have further fuelled her passion for advocacy, allowing her to serve as a cultural ambassador to promote the rich heritage and traditions of Jamaica."

The institution added that as a student leader, Cameron has held various positions, including vice-president of the Mona Law Society, UWI Mona Guild External Affairs Committee, and the University Dance Society. Her drive, determination and the confidence of her peers in her abilities to effectively represent them propelled her to many of these roles.