Beauty Queen assists needy students

By John Owoo

Abena Akuaba Appiah, who recently made history by being the first Ghanaian to win an international beauty pageant, is set to continue with her plans to assist needy students pursue high education.

She easily grabbed the top prize to become Miss Queen Beauty Universe in September, during a keenly contested event in the Spanish city of Malaga.

Currently a Mass Media Communications student at the State University of New York (USA), Appiah has been collaborating with the Baldwin University Foundation (New York) to help finance tertiary education of a number of Ghanaian students.

"My current position provides me with the platform to enhance my project, which aims at assisting needy children achieve their dreams of higher education.

Presently, six students are in various Ghanaian universities due to support from the Baldwin University Foundation", says Appiah who has appeared in a number of radio and TV stations in the United States.

A former Fashion student of Radford University in Accra, the beauty queen is also a musician, actress and entrepreneur with years of experience in the fashion industry. She has modeled for various designers from around the world including Andreas Aquino (Spain), Sushma Patel (India), Catalan (France) and the late Kofi Ansah (Ghana).

She won Miss Universe Ghana 2014 and competed in the Donald Trump International Pageant, Miss Universe in 2014 and later became a brand ambassador for Garner Hair Products in the United States.

The runway diva has been involved in fashion shows with Contour Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, Vlisco, Woodin, Da Viva and GTP.

"Never give up, modeling is a tough profession, there will be disappointments but don't lose hope. Bear in mind it's a very long journey, work hard and just be yourself and you will be able to make your country proud" Appiah, who has released five singles advised up and coming models.

Currently working on her first album, the beauty queen has participated in international modeling competitions such as, Top Model Ghana 2013 and Top Model of the World 2013 where she emerged number 15 out of 60 countries that participated in the event.