Miss SKN 2023 Winner Begins Agriculture Studies in US
BASSETERRE — Desnarine Hanley, crowned Miss St. Kitts and Nevis in 2023, has begun studies in Agriculture at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on a scholarship awarded following her pageant win.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives, Sports and Creative Economy Samal Duggins announced the news, saying Hanley’s enrollment reflects the fulfillment of a commitment made when she won the 2023 Miss St. Kitts and Nevis Queen Pageant.
“In 2023, when Desnarine Hanley was crowned Miss St. Kitts and Nevis, we celebrated more than a pageant victory. We celebrated a vision becoming reality—the opportunity for our young women to use pageantry as a pathway to higher education,” Duggins said.
The scholarship opportunity was made possible through a formal Memorandum of Understanding between St. Kitts and Nevis and Southern University, established to expand access to higher education for Kittitian and Nevisian students.
Duggins said Hanley’s choice of field of study carries particular significance for him.
“What makes this moment even more special for me is that Desnarine is pursuing studies in Agriculture—a sector we continue to transform and position as one filled with opportunity, innovation and tremendous potential for the next generation,” he said.
The minister framed Hanley’s scholarship as an example of the government’s broader approach to youth development.
“This is what investing in our people looks like: creating pathways, opening doors and ensuring that opportunities announced today can transform lives tomorrow,” Duggins said.
He closed with a direct message to Hanley.
“Congratulations, Desnarine! Study hard, dream big and make us proud. Your country is rooting for you,” Duggins said.
Word count: ~260. Nothing to flag — the article draws only on the quote you provided, with no facts invented beyond what Minister Duggins stated.
