The case of beauty and brains is rare. But that is what can be said of the current Miss Malawi Jescar Mponda.

The beauty queen on Wednesday graduated with a bachelor from the University of Malawi (Unima). Now, she can swap her Miss Malawi crown with her graduation wisdom hat.

Mponda: It is an inspiration to young girls

In a sly Facebook post made after her graduation, the model took the opportunity to ‘reintroduce’ herself as a holder of a bachelor’s degree.

“Crowns and sashes are cute. Wisdom hats and certificates are necessary. Dear girl child, the doors of education are open for you. The world is not the limit, it is for you to conquer,” she posted.

In an interview on Thursday, Mponda said the feeling that she got what she worked hard for is the best ever. She said there were times she thought she was not going to make it.

The Miss Malawi said despite her success being a personal feat, she would also love to view it as an inspiration to young girls who look up to her as a model and to those aspiring for the Miss Malawi crown.

She said: “Some look at the Miss Malawi for trappings that it provides. But I am here to tell them that in life you need to work hard to experience its fullness. As Miss Malawi you still need education to be respected.

“For your voice to be heard, the crown on its own is not enough. This is for the girls to know that being Miss Malawi is more than the beauty pageant. It is about chasing your passion while keeping your priorities in check. Education is the main priority in every girl’s life.”

The 23-year-old had her first experience on the runway in 2020 when she participated in the Beautiful Africa 2020 Fashion Show. Since then she has kept her eyes firm on the ground. And she says modelling is something she takes to heart.

“My ambition is to carry Malawi’s flag across the world. I want to earn Malawi some pride. On a personal level, I yearn for more education to make my family proud as well as inspire the young generation,” she said.

From the pool of the Miss Malawi 2023 contestants, another model Umiwangu Mlanjira also underlined her academic credentials on the same day when she graduated with a bachelor of science in child health nursing from Unima.

She said she attaches so much pride to her success as it required a perfect balancing act between her academic and modelling demands.

“I was a student during the week and a model during weekends. There was always that awareness where my priorities lay at that particular time. You have to make time for the things that you love. At the end of the day you exist as a person and feeling content should be the goal,” said Mlanjira.

The model said she has been modelling since 2020, but the Miss Malawi contest was her first run as a pageant model. She said her area of focus is editorial and commercial modelling.

Miss Malawi organisers Alfa Arts director Tina Kendricks said the group of contestants they had for the 2022 pageant was not only beautiful but also well inclined academically. She said they are proud of what the girls are achieving outside life as models.

Kendricks said: “We set out to change the mindset of the people as regards the pageant and the modelling industry as a whole. We wanted to show people that it is more than the outward appearance, but a belief that they can contribute in making a social awareness in the country.” She said the academic success of the two models will bring confidence to those who shied away for fear of being belittled by the society as they have earned their status as role models.

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