(Seychelles News Agency) - 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 Elsia Françoise.

The youngest of the 11 contestants at 18 years old, Elsia Françoise believes that the world is hers to conquer. From the southern district of Takamaka, Françoise firmly believes in a quote by Anais Nin, "and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

A graduate of the School for Advanced Studies (SALS), Françoise shone through her primary and secondary education while participating in several extracurricular activities such as public speaking, quizzes, debates and poem competitions.

Françoise is the chairperson of the Caritas Youth Group, which is a branch of the international Roman Catholic organization Caritas, as well as the president of the SALS' Operation Smile Club.  (Miss Seychelles the National Pageant/ Facebook) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

The beauty contestant has a passion for charity work. Françoise is the chairperson of the Caritas Youth Group, which is a branch of the international Roman Catholic organization Caritas, as well as the president of the SALS' Operation Smile Club.

“This allows me to actively and positively influence young people to give back to the community,” said the young woman who is always seeking to better herself and is now learning Italian.

"Another exciting news is that I am working on my first book. It is taking time, slowly but surely,” added Françoise. However, despite being busier than most people her age, the aspiring writer describes herself as a regular young woman who enjoys reggae music, jogging and family time -possibly more than anything else in the world.