Dana Powell is Miss Ja USA

Barbara Ellington

(Left to right) ­ Sancia Henry, Dana and her mother Mrs. Powell during their recent stay at Sandals Montego Bay.

THE reigning Miss Jamaica USA says she is concerned about the negative images of Jamaica being spread abroad.

For 20-year-old journalism student Dana Powell, she has a role to create a better impression about this country.

The final year student at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, was on her fourth visit to the island last week, accompanied by her mother who hails from Clarendon.

Having heard about the contest for a while, Dana finally took the plunge when she saw the advertisement in The Gleaner.

"To prepare for the contest, I had to stay informed by reading the newspapers regularly, visit the Go Jamaica web site and get information from other sources about how the political system works and the differences and similarities between both peoples," she said.

Sponsored by Royal Caribbean Bakery, on coronation night, Dana had to speak on the topic, "What it means to be a Jamaican woman in America." "I referred to the strong family values instilled by my parents, and about how we cherish the go-getter attitude in our culture," she said.

Miss Jamaica USA is bothered by the negative reports about her country; "We used to be seen as a paradise, now the talk is of violence and ganja. Two questions are asked of someone going to Jamaica, 'you going to smoke up some weed and aren't you afraid?' I have a role to play to create a different image of Jamaica," said the broadcast journalism major.

Dana is adamant she can spread the good news about Jamaica pointing out that we should not put our problems under the carpet but we should have pride. Presently on internship at Heartbeat Records, she uses her show on WERS Radio 88.9 FM on campus to promote gospel, roots, lover's rock, reggae music. And this summer Dana will be assigned with a reporter at the Boston NBC affiliate, WHDH, working on a public affairs programme called 'Urban Update'.

"I have gained positively from the experience, the challenge of competition taught me to be focused, believe in myself and know that I can win. This will help me in life but most of all I feel good to know that Jamaicans and people from the Caribbean region were so genuinely happy for and supportive of me," she told Flair.

­ Contributed

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