A small-town boy with big dreams

A small town boy with big dreams
Founder of Miss Teen Swakopmund
Bit by the pageantry bug at the age of 13 years
Michelline Nawatises
Jonathan Travis Harris is a second-year marketing student at the University of Science and Technology (NUST), a young and energetic philanthropist and entrepreneur, as well as an aspiring model.
Harris, who has a deep interest in pageantry, says that he first became bitten by the pageantry bug when he was just 13 years old. "Ever since. I arranged my primary school pageant.”
He started with pageantry because it's not only a platform to showcase beauty and handsomeness, but also a podium for males and females to shed light in grey areas of life.
“In grade 10, I made the decision that I didn't just want to be on stage but also wanted to give people the chance to enjoy the experiences that pageantry has to offer. This was when Miss Teen Swakopmund was founded in 2018.”
Harris has appeared on the stage of numerous pageants in the past, winning Mr St. Boniface, Mr Miedoso, Mr Golden Heart, Mr United Namibia, and most recently, Mr Teen Star International.
He says that pageantry is very looked down on in the industry in Namibia. “I do not see it as an industry but a form of art.”
He says that Namibian pageants are of high quality and that there is phenomenal potential “but we will only reach higher levels once new blood is allowed to enter into the art of pageantry.”

Miss Teen Swakopmund
Since its founding in 2018, the pageant has focused on empowering young girls, to ensure a better and brighter future for them.
Harris says he observed that young women in Swakopmund lacked a forum to appreciate the authenticity of what pageantry had to offer. He also regarded it as a means of mentoring and directing young girls.
"Being a straight male, everyone has an opinion about what I do. I think that women are highly important and should be given many more opportunities for empowerment. That was the birth of Miss Teen Swakopmund.”
One of the difficulties he encountered at first was that he had to build the contest from scratch without the support of sponsors.
“It was quite hard, but after a while, I got to build the pageant organisation up to a good standing with the Swakopmund community and from there it just went well”.
Having had multiple well-known people for a part of past events has been a win for him.
“We have had the privilege to work with Miss Supranational Namibia, Monique Smith; the amazing mentor and pageant coach Sarel Heith; Miss World Namibia 2021 Annerie Mare, and receiving feedback from Miss Universe Michelle McLean on Miss Teen Swakopmund was unquestionably a milestone.”

New heights
Last year, the pageant went from being a town pageant to becoming a national pageant.
Carol-Mary Delie, Miss Teen Swakopmund 2021, was named the first-ever Miss Teen World Namibia.
This was after a decision was made a license acquired by the Miss Teen Swakopmund pageant organisation to represent Namibia in Ecuador this October. “A national pageant will be hosted every year for teenagers all around Namibia to compete for the National title.”
Harris is also the newly appointed Miss Teen World Namibia International National Director.
When Bobby Kaanjosa, the national director of Teen Star Namibia and owner of Walk by Bobby Kaanjosa, contacted him earlier this year to serve as the Teen Star international representative from Namibia, it was the beginning of his complete adventure as Mr Teen Star Namibia 2022.
“Since then, I have worked incredibly hard to be ready, practice, and raise funds to travel to Thailand on 29 July and compete in the international competition from 1 to 7 August.”
He will be presenting Namibia alongside Keesha Antonious, Miss Teen Star Namibia.
Harris to proceed with his mental health advocacy once he is back in Namibia, as it is very close to his heart. “Even if I do not win I still want to do this. Having this title, I feel it will be a great opportunity to interact with young individuals and spread the message of good mental health as I previously was a victim of it.”