Manchester Festival queen vows to champion special needs and disabled voices

Miss Manchester Festival Queen 2024, Shaunoya Houston, will focus on people with special needs and the disabled community during her reign.

The 25-year-old special education teacher shared details of her community project following a glitzy coronation ceremony at Bel Air High School in Mandeville.

Houston was confident from the start, expressing a deep commitment to advocating for people with disabilities and emphasizing her strong desire to help members of this community reach their full potential.

Ms. Houston’s dedication was on full display during a fascinating Q&A segment when she was asked which government ministry she would like to serve and what her priorities would be. She chose the Ministry of Education without hesitation, expressing her desire to establish policies, particularly in higher education, that provide critical training and support to people with special needs and members of the disability community.

“My project is known as ‘The Special Needs Project’ and it focuses on promoting inclusion for people with disabilities. It aims to raise awareness about disabilities and raise funds to support those who may need special assistance. I chose this project because, as a special needs educator, I realized that for too long, people with disabilities have been underserved. People with disabilities have a lot to offer and I respect that potential and am here to offer any support I can,” Houston said.

A crowd favorite, Houston won four of the six category awards at the coronation. She took home awards for most culturally aware, most poised, most active in the community and best performance.

The Grand National Coronation will take place on August 3rd.

This year’s competition theme is “Jamaican Women: Creativity Beyond Boundaries.”