Once upon a time there was a `rugged little country girl’ who ran around half-naked riding donkeys. But on Friday night 21-year-old Alexis Glasgow, now polished and graceful, got her fairytale ending when she won Miss Guyana/World 2003.

Glasgow is well aware that some people do not have kind words for beauty queens but she is not daunted by the carping, pledging that should she not win the Miss World crown she would still be focusing on her platform, `Child Abuse.’

Normally both Miss Guyana/World and Miss Guyana/Universe queens more-or-less disappear after representing their country at the international pageants. This year the pageant will be held on December 6 in the South China Resort of Sanya.

And Glasgow said in an interview with Stabroek News that she would remain in the spotlight after the pageant as she tries her best to make a change in the lives of abused children.

Still basking in the warm glow of success, Glasgow said she was getting goose bumps whenever she remembered her first moments of being crowned queen.

She recalls telling first runner-up Nevillean Dundas, “Well done Nevillean, and then she said, `No, it’s you!’ and then I said, ‘Yes, it is me!’ and then it soaked in...”

Prior to being named in the final five she was not nervous, “I was nervous when I couldn’t walk properly from some reason because when I got out there and I was answering the question I was saying to myself, `Alexis you have to be concise and listen to the question properly’ and I blanked out the crowd completely.”

Glasgow describes herself as “...a very relaxed person, easy to get along with and always willing to help others, that is who I am.”

The ever smiling queen restated what she had said on pageant night describing herself as once “a little rugged country girl, you know when I was five to six years-old just running around half-naked, bare feet, you know, riding donkeys.”

What a contrast that sounds to her appearance at Stabroek News offices, dressed in a simple white top completed with cream pants and black platform shoes decorated with diamante. Right away heads were turning.

She spent most of her years in New Amsterdam in the Smythfield area and she attended the Canje Secondary School where she was involved in lots of activities.

She moved to the city at 19 and found it easy to adjust from “country life to city life,” while living with an aunt.

However, she moved into her own place and found that she loved to be independent as she was getting things done her way.

“You know, I get to make lots of decisions, sometimes they are not always right, but what I do is sometimes I will call my mom for advice whenever I am not sure about myself.”

She is the eldest of five, but found that at one time it felt as if her 19-year-old sister was the eldest since she modelled a lot and was crowned Miss New Amsterdam and Miss Berbice High.

“She was always in the spotlight, more than me, even though I am the eldest, I used to feel as if she was the big one because you know I wouldn’t take on so much responsibility like her.”

Her siblings are Alicia, Ryan, Delon and Amanda and her mom’s name is Regina Farria and her stepfather, with whom she grew up is Leon Farria while her father is Colin Glasgow.

“I grew up with my stepfather in Berbice; he played the role of a father throughout my life. My father played the role as well but he wasn’t there all the time.”

While her stepfather was at the pageant, her father was not, but his absence did not have a real impact on the queen since she is more attached to her stepfather. “But I love both of them equally.”

Glasgow told Stabroek News that she had always wanted to know what it was like to be in a pageant even if she did not win. It was this curiosity and the prompting of persons that drove her to be part of the pageant.

It was not all fun as she found out with some days being very hard but she was supported by the girls.

The queen is a flight attendant with Universal Airlines and balancing her job and preparing for the pageant was not always easy.

“I was tired you know sometimes, from work to rehearsal and then going home and having to do things for myself...”

For now she has time off for the rest the month from her job while something will be worked out for later.

She has a lot of work experience since she once worked with a doctor, then with Banks DIH in Berbice, Camp Site in the administrative department and from there to Guyana Stores where she worked in the pharmacy.

She always dreamt of becoming a flight attendant and that day came when a woman after speaking with her at Guyana Stores told her she should apply to Universal Airlines. When she took in her application she saw the same woman.

One day Glasgow wants to become an actress and she feels with the help of God she will be able to achieve her goal.

She has plans on furthering her studies in human psychology and marketing.

Her advice to the young: “Stay focused and always remember where you came from; be yourself at all times and don’t listen to negativity...”