A beauty pageant contestant who loves Seychelles' sea and its World Heritage atoll People

People |Author: Sharon Ernesta | November 30, 2020, Monday @ 11:32

Holder of the ‘Miss Regatta 2016’ beauty pageant title, Filippin is the daughter of a Seychellois mother and an Italian father and speaks four languages: Creole, English, French and German and learning Italian. (Miss Seychelles the National Pageant/ Facebook)

For the first time since 2017, a beauty pageant will be held in Seychelles, 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean. The organization Beauty Empowerment Seychelles is hosting a new contest, Miss Seychelles National Pageant.

With days to go before the new Miss Seychelles is crowned on December 7, SNA is profiling the 11 contestants vying for the title. Today we look at Rebecca Felicita Filippin.

Holder of the ‘Miss Regatta 2016’ beauty pageant title, Rebecca Felicita Filippin was born in January 1995. Filippin currently lives down in the south of the main island of Mahe at Baie-Lazare. She is the daughter of a Seychellois mother and an Italian father and speaks four languages: Creole, English, French and German. Filippin is currently learning Italian.

From a young age, Filippin developed a love for the environment as she grew up surrounded by the sea. Filippin, whose father is an artist, had an art gallery close to a dive centre. She recalled how happy looking the divers were after a dive.

Filippin currently works with the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) as a project officer for the turtle project. (Miss Seychelles the National Pageant/ Facebook) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

“To explore not just land but also the ocean was always a dream. At the age of 15, I gained my open water diving license and I am currently a rescue diver,” explained the beauty contestant, adding that she is planning to become a driving instructor one day. From her years of scuba diving, Filippin said she noticed many changes in the ocean, which has motivated her to become a conservationist.

The environment lover who studied Advanced Fisheries Science at the Maritime Training Centre (MTC), worked for more than two years for the Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF) as a ranger on Aldabra – a World Heritage site. “Aldabra was an amazing experience; spending my last teen years on the Atoll helped me find who I am and how I can help the environment,” said Filippin.

Filippin currently works with the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) as a project officer for the turtle project. The contestant wants to use this opportunity being provided by the ‘Beauty Empowerment Seychelles’ platform “to raise awareness about the climate crisis affecting our country and to try to find a solution that can benefit us all.”

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