Photo Caption – JN Bank employees, Tahjé Bennett, Miss Jamaica World 2024; and Shevauni Powell, Mr Supranational Jamaica 2025, engage in conversation with Earl Jarrett, Chief Executive Officer, The JN Group, during a courtesy call at The JN Group Corporate Office on June 10.
Beyond the glamour of pageants, Miss Jamaica World 2024, Tahjé Bennett, and Mr Supranational Jamaica 2025, Shevauni Powell, are grateful for the life-changing opportunities that their respective competitions have exposed them to.
On May 31, Miss 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. Mr Powell, who is currently in Poland, is representing Jamaica at the 9th staging of the Mister Supranational pageant on June 28. Mister Supranational is an international male pageant that focuses on modelling talent, cultural exchange, leadership and advocacy.
Both Miss Bennett and Mr Powell, employees of JN Bank, made a courtesy call recently on Earl Jarrett, Chief Executive Officer of The Jamaica National Group, who commended them on their achievements. JN Bank is a member of the JN Group.
The beauty queen shared with Mr Jarrett 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.”
Miss 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.
For Mr Powell, his decision to participate in the Mister Supranational pageant was based on the encouragement of a friend. Initially, he was hesitant.
“I did some research on the pageant and realised that it is a good opportunity to represent the country, for my self-development and also to inspire others,” he related.
“This is my first time in a pageant, so a whole lot has been happening. I had the opportunity of being exposed to stage experience in Atlanta. It was my first time travelling,” he disclosed.
As Mr Powell prepares to represent Jamaica on the international stage, Mr Jarrett encouraged him to be open-minded and ready to embrace all that lies ahead.
“Keep your mind open for any opportunities that come your way. The world is now your oyster so whatever opportunities come, grab it,” Mr Jarrett advised.
Standing at 6 feet 3 inches, Mr Powell is looking forward to his experience in Poland and describes the opportunity as a platform to promote positive change and cultural awareness.
“Supranational is a real word,” he affirmed. “Actually, it means having power and influence beyond the borders of your own country. Being selected as a Mr Supranational has humbled me. It’s a mixed feeling of pride and excitement. I’m just trying my best to embrace every opportunity to learn and also inspire as I take on this new journey,” he said.
According to the pageant’s website the competition aims to revolutionise the industry, by being the first initiative of its kind to create “super modern and high fashion television production” with the aim of producing instant celebrities for the modelling and television industries.
Mr 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 Miss Bennett and Mr Powell expressed that JN Bank has been the foundation of their personal and professional growth.
“I consider myself a JN baby,” said Miss Bennett, explaining that her connection with the organisation runs deep. Her mother became a JN Bank employee when she (Miss Bennett) was three years old. The beauty queen, who is currently pursuing a law degree at The University of the West Indies, aspires to transition from banking to the Legal Department of The JN Group one day.
For Mr Powell, he started out as a summer worker at the then Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) right after graduating from the Mile Gully High School, one of the schools participating in the Centres of Excellence programme, an initiative jointly financed by JNBS and The Victoria Mutual Building Society, through the Mutual Building Societies Foundation. The programme was geared at improving the academic performance of students by developing leadership within the six selected non-traditional, rural-based high schools. Mr Powell served as head boy at the school and emerged Student of the Year, an award that was presented to him by Mr Jarrett himself who was the guest speaker at his graduation.
“JN has played [a key role] in my life, development and career. JN has been my only job,” he told Mr Jarrett.
Mr Powell is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science at the University of Technology, Jamaica.
As Miss Bennett 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.
