This is the 10th anniversary of the Miss Teen Portmore pageant, and each week, THE PORTMORE STAR will highlight a former winner of the competition.

Anna Palomino, the Miss Teen Portmore 2010 winner, is currently a law student at the University of the West Indies (UWI).

She is an idealist and optimism is her middle name. Having started the law programme last year, Palomino said she has quickly learnt that time owes itself to no one.

"I have chosen to categorise my life as a gift of time. looking in hindsight at the Miss Teen Portmore Pageant, I entered while pending acceptance to the sixth-form programme of the Wolmer's High School for Girls," she revealed. "I was indeed accepted and moved on to be badged deputy head girl in addition to other positions of authority. My most significant achievement at Wolmer's, however, would be morphing into a well-rounded, Christian young lady who can manage any given situation."

Palomino never thought she would have won the pageant and is eternally grateful for the experience. "Pageantry was not my forte, but the experience proved fruitful as I ultimately won the title of Miss Teen Portmore 2010. This was not a beauty pageant, but was about the intelligence of the competitors. This was an opportunity to smooth the rough edges, to present a young lady ready to conquer the world," she said.

She has some advice for future contestants. "The transformation you will undertake, the places you will visit, the knowledge you will acquire, the people you meet will open your eyes to the world. So go ahead. I dare you to challenge yourself to become better," she said.