Riel Felice: Miss Caribbean Student Association

Name: Riel Felice                  

Age: 19

Major: Media Communication Studies and Editing, Writing and Media

Hometown: Jacksonville

Relationship Status: Single

Her Campus (HC): What made you want to major in Editing, Writing and Media?

Riel Felice (RF): I love writing. I’ve always loved writing and had a natural gift for writing. As of now I plan on being a journalist in the Peace Corps for a few years after I graduate, so I thought that EWM would be the right track to get me there.

HC: Wow the Peace Corps! Why write for them?

RF: I’ve always loved volunteering! And I want to travel as well so I feel like my love for those two things and my desire to help others would go hand in hand by doing that.

HC: Tell us about your background and why you decided to join the Caribbean Student Association.

RF: I love this question! Both of my parents are from the island of Trinidad, so I was raised in a Caribbean household with their values. I would always go to Trinidad as a child. I actually just went this past December! It’s in my blood. I love the music, the culture, the food and everything about it. I even plan on moving there at some point in my life. Trinidad is a very integral part of who I am. CSA is home away from home. Once I came here I wanted to find a group I could identify with and of all the groups I tried, CSA was the most welcoming and I felt like I fit with it best. They’re like a family to me.

HC: What do you love most about CSA?

RF: I love the blend of different islands. There are people from Dominica, Trinidad, Jamaica, Belize, Dominican Republic, Haiti, everywhere! It makes a bond of all the Caribbean islands. It’s welcoming to everyone even if you aren’t from the Caribbean or you don’t have a Caribbean background. You could be from Alabama with both parents from the United States and we’d take you in because it’s about teaching everyone our culture.

HC: What was it like competing for the title of Miss CSA? It must have been nerve racking being a freshman.

RF: I was very nervous at first. I didn’t even know if I wanted to compete in the pageant because I wasn’t sure I’d win. It was really stressful, but it was all worth it. We had practice every day from 7-9 p.m. and sometimes later. We’d have six-hour dress rehearsals and it was a very long process. I feel like it’s helped me grow as a person and I’ve gotten to know a lot of people. A lot of my pageant brothers and sisters are now my friends and they’re on the executive board so we’re all going to be working together. I’d recommend it to anyone! 

HC: What kind of job or responsibilities does being Miss CSA come with?

RF: I just planned and hosted the CSA banquet, which is your first duty as Miss CSA. Your main duty is planning and putting on next year’s pageant. So you have to select the contestants, go through the interviewing process, headshots, decorating, finding judges, as well as attending every practice. We also do small things like planning general body meetings and hosting the first general body meeting of next year.

HC: Do you have any future plans as Miss CSA?

RF: My pageant mom, Tony Ann, wants us to join The Fair Godmother Initiative where we go to low-income schools and speak to young men and women. We pick one guy and one girl and set them up for prom free of charge and the remaining money we have gets put into a scholarship for them as well!

HC:  You’ve accomplished a lot your in your freshman year at FSU. Do you have any advice for incoming Noles?

RF: Anything that you’re interested in, go for it. Do not be shy. I was so scared to do the pageant, and I went with it, did my best, and it ended up working in my favor. Try tons of organizations and if they don’t work for you at least you tried. The worst thing that could happen is it’s not for you. 

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