Thomas Furtado and Ja’Shay Trott took home the titles of Mr and Miss CedarBridge at the weekend.

The pair were chosen from a pool of nine talented contestants for CedarBridge Academy’s annual pageant.

A beaming John Virgil, head of S4, told the contestants that he was “very, very proud” of them all.

Mr Virgil added: “You have shown us your determination, your skills. This is what resilience looks like.

“You should be proud that you set goals and you have achieved them.”

The event, which was attended by about 200 people, was used to select two S4 pupils to serve as role models and to speak for the student body, as well as serving as ambassadors for the school at large.

Contestants were also selected for the roles of Mr and Miss Photogenic and Mr and Miss Congeniality, all of whom were selected by a panel of five judges.

Thomas was one of three boys in the running for Mr CedarBridge, alongside Maxwell Lawrence III and Keon Stevens.

Ja’Shay competed alongside Xola Burch, Akeira Trott-Saltus, Amilia Thompson, Star Abdullah and Angel O’Loughlin.

The pageant’s first round was “Victorious Vibes”, where nominees described their passions and explained what victory meant to them.

Several pupils showcased their talents, such as Akeira’s collection of hairstyles and Maxwell’s photography slide show.

Others gave stage performances involving song, steel pan, dance and even a card trick.

Amilia talked about overcoming her grief over the death of her father, while Keon talked about his recovery after a cycling accident.

Thomas shared how he and his father bonded over motorcycles, which went on to become a passion of his.

Victorious Vibes was followed by the evening wear portion, in which contestants donned their best formal dress and answered questions about personal growth and how they would lead as students.

The finalists were eventually chosen and shared their thoughts on how they would make a difference as student leaders and inspire their fellow pupils to pursue higher education.