Tishanna Mitchell has had her turn in the pageantry spotlight, and now that she has moved on to a new chapter of her life, she is using her positive pageantry takeaways to help other young women learn how to make their way into their own spotlights.

Her SHE project – Sisterhood Empowerment Mentorship Programme – is a holistic developmental programme that targets teenagers and young women from 14 to 25. She said the programme will be curated to suit the individual themselves with an aim of developing and sending out more confident, powerful women into the world.

"We will be focussing on development in three categories – health, both physical and mental; education; and body positivity. For four to six weeks we will host workshops on things like self awareness, personality traits, social awareness, health, nutrition, physical education, mental health, and body positivity," she told WMN.

"We have a partnership with the mental health and wellness M.I.A. Project TT, the YMCA, and Selah House of Fashion, which will be offering guidance on things like body types, confidence etc." But, she said, although the contributions made by her partners are priceless, more funding will be necessary for the smooth running of the programme.

The 28-year-old Chaguanas resident is a counselling psychologist and was the second-runner-up in the Miss World TT pageant in 2018 – playing the steelpan in a talent segment; she's a member of Republic Bank Exodus Steel Orchestra – and this year's Miss Universe TT second-runner-up. She said her background in psychology and pageantry created the perfect marriage opportunity for the SHE project.

Mitchell said when she was growing up she had her own issues with confidence and always had a lot of questions about herself, so psychology was a natural trajectory. She did a bachelor's degree at UWI, St Augustine, majoring in psychology and communication studies. She did her master's in counselling psychology at the University of the Southern Caribbean, in Maracas, St Joseph.

"I did my internship at Families in Action and also worked in the private sector with two independent psychologists. About a year and a half ago I started my own private practice, Therapy Me TT."

[caption id="attachment_991559" align="alignnone" width="713"] Tishanna Mitchell in her evening gown at the 2022 Miss Universe TT pageant in which she was the second runner-up at Queen's Hall, St Ann's on September 12. - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]

Mitchell said when she was 18 she entered her first pageant as a challenge to herself.

"Because of my confidence issues when I was growing up, I decided to jump off the boat and into ocean."

She gave it a break for a few years then decided to give it a try again at 26.

"Two years later, I gave it my last try...I have learned everything I need to learn from pageantry. That chapter is closed and I steering my attention on investing in my community and helping young women coming up."

But, she said, her own developmental approach will most certainly not be the right fit for every yo