Miss Caribbean Trace-Ann Gooden won Miss United Nations 2016

Miss United Nations 2016 Trace-Ann Gooden

Name: Trace-Ann Gooden 

Title:    Miss Caribbean United Nations

Name three words or phrases that best describe you: Energetic, Pleasant and always volunteering.

Name three different words or phrases that you think someone else would use to describe you: Altruistic possessing an effervescent personality and very reflective

Describe any special talents that you may possess: I do speech drama well and also sing. I usually have a unique facial expression that makes what I am doing come alive.If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be and why? I would consider encouraging myself to read more, as reading does increases one's awareness.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years and how do you plan to get there? Career Wise: I hope to have completed my Masters Degree in public health to become a Public Health Nurse Family Wise: To be married and start a family. My social milieu provides an opportunity for building meaningful relationship, one of which may evolve into a lifelong partnership.

How did you get started doing community service projects and activities? At the tender age of nine, I began my work as a volunteer with the Jamaica Red Cross while enrolled at the Crescent Primary and Junior High School in St Catherine.

How much time do you currently devote to volunteerism? The increase demand coupled with my passion for volunteerism makes it difficult to quantify the amount of time I spend. However I do devote much of my personal time to volunteerism. I have volunteered with numerous organizations over the years including Yute Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE), National Council on Drug Abuse, Junior Achievement Jamaica etc. Sometimes I am asked randomly to be involved in a project, participate in a health fair or career day. Two years ago I started my own platform for volunteerism, the Hug Your Child Campaign.

How do you usually find the community service projects and activities that you participate in within your community? Very fulfilling I must say. It invokes a feeling of worth and purpose.

What was your favorite community service project and why? Describe what value you think you brought to the project. My favorite community service project was hosting a Youth Empowerment Session in the community that I grew which also lead to the launch of their Youth Group. This was very significant to me because where I grew up is what is termed a “captured land”. Usually persons in this type of community are marginalized and sometimes discriminated against because of our perceived social class.

Considering the experience that I had gathered from volunteering with other organizations that does community outreach, and the networks I build; I was able to reach out to the youth in my community to encourage them to “ Advance”.

First Lady Michelle Obama's speech lived with me, when she said when you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed. One such opportunity for me was having persons who  empowered me along my journey and I wanted to do the very same for the youth in my former community.

How do you plan to use your title to help others within your community? My plan is to consider to serve as I have been serving through the organizations of which I am affiliated and of course when others reach to offer my service as best I can.

Describe why you think you would be the best representative of ….. United Nations Pageants LLC as ………….United Nations 2016?

Considering the United Nations Pageant strong emphasis on goodwill, that is the very essence of who I am, a woman passionate to serve, to build and to be a positive role model. Many have contributed significantly to who I am and it is with that motivation that I strive to engage in any activity that will actuate me in doing the very same for others.