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Beyond the glamour of pageants, Miss Jamaica World 2024 Tahje Bennett, is grateful for the life-changing opportunity that came her way as a result of the competition. On May 31, Bennett competed in the 72nd Miss World pageant in India, placing among the Top 10 finalists from the Americas and the Caribbean, and finishing in the Top 40.
Bennett, an employee of JN Bank, recently made a courtesy call on Earl Jarrett, chief executive officer of The Jamaica National Group, alongside Mr Supranational Jamaica 2025, Shevauni Powell. Jarrett commended them both on their achievements.
The beauty queen said that her participation in the competition brought a deep sense of pride in representing Jamaica on the global stage.
“My name for the month was ‘Miss Jamaica’. They don’t call you by your [personal] name at all. The experience was awesome because of the hospitality of the people. It was amazing. They treated us really well,” Bennett shared.
Bennett, who stayed in the city of Hyderabad in Telangana, south-central India, said she also had the opportunity to visit the India capital, New Delhi, and the financial capital, Mumbai, during her time in the country. While she thoroughly enjoyed the experience, she noted that it came with a few cultural adjustments, particularly in adapting to the local cuisine and customs.
“Indian food in Jamaica is not the same as Indian food in India. The flavours are very different from what I’m used to, so I had to take some time to adjust to that,” she related.
Reflecting on cultural differences, she added: “The freedom we have in the western side of the world is not necessarily the same in the eastern side of the world. Life is very different there,” she said noting, for example, that women are fully covered when in the streets.
The José Marti High School alumna and philanthropist pointed out that she is pleased with the positive signs of progress for women in the Indian society.
“Women are taking up space in India now and I’m glad to see that they are evolving because I believe that women are the nurturers of our society, so in any space where you uplift women, you are uplifting the generations to come. I think it was very important that we had the Miss World [pageant] in India because Miss World is all about women empowerment and women being in leadership,” she said.
Jarrett, in lauding the success of both JN Bank employees, highlighted the significance of their achievements as a reflection of the calibre of talent within the organisation.
“It speaks a lot to the persons who are attracted to JN and who we are attracted to. It’s not a one-off, but an intergenerational success for two persons who have been so selected. We look forward to them continuing their work with JN and also keeping their eyes open for any opportunities around the world that could impact Jamaica and JN itself.”
Both Bennett and Powell said that JN Bank has been the foundation of their personal and professional growth.
“I consider myself a JN baby,” said Bennett, explaining that her connection with the organisation runs deep. Her mother became a JN Bank employee when she (Bennett) was three years old.
Bennett is currently pursuing a law degree at The University of the West Indies and aspires to transition from banking to the legal department of The JN Group one day.
As she focuses on the remainder of her tenure as Miss Jamaica World, she is actively engaged in advancing her beauty with a purpose initiative. She established the Fix Your Crown Foundation, aimed at uplifting and empowering individuals affected by domestic and gender-based violence. Drawing from her own experience as a survivor of domestic abuse, she is inspiring others to reclaim their power and break free from the cycle of violence.
English (US) ·