Written by Martine St. Hilaire
Pascale Bélony became interested in pageantry at the age of eight. When growing up in Cap-Haitien, Bélony became fascinated by what she experienced in her daily life. She spent hours perched on the balcony of her home, observing everyday movement, watching colorful markets filled with vibrant merchants and the women carrying huge baskets on their heads with ease and cadence. It was as if life had infused itself within the very fibers of the Haitian people. She said to herself, “One day, I want to be on a world stage sharing the beauty and the story of my people.” Fortunately for her, that dream came true through pageantry.
Bélony’s official pageant journey began in 2019 when she competed in Miss Haiti Universe, where she placed second-runner up. Then, in 2021, she was elected Miss Supranational Haiti. She represented Haiti at the Miss Supranational competition in Poland, where she placed 14th out of 58 countries and won the title of Miss Supranational Caribbean. She made history as Haiti’s first placement and crowned participant at the Miss Supranational pageant. Bélony’s pageant journey ended with the Miss Universe Haiti 2021 title. She also represented Haiti at the 70th edition of the Miss Universe competition in December 2021.
Her retirement from the pageant world didn’t stop Bélony from achieving continued greatness. She’s currently a maternity nurse because she’s passionate about women’s health and the birthing cycle. Her passion centers more on women than children, mainly because Haiti has the highest infant and maternal mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere.
In Bélony’s freshman year of college at the University of Florida, she joined a nonprofit organization called P4H Global that’s dedicated to eradicating poverty in Haiti through education. Joining the group fueled her deep desire to contribute to the advancement of her country. Given that P4H Global’s main office is in Bélony’s hometown, Cap-Haitien, it was a perfect match. From 2012 to 2015, she served as their Communications and Publicity Director. From 2012 to 2020, she planned and executed annual Health Education workshops. She also proudly served as the youngest member of P4H Global’s Board of Directors, perpetuating her mission to transform Haiti through quality education.
Bélony is also a board member and ambassador for MamaBaby Haiti, a nonprofit that runs two birth centers, a health clinic, and a midwifery school, all located in the northern part of Haiti where Bélony was born and raised. MamaBaby Haiti provides a safe place for Haitian women to receive compassionate care at the hands of skilled midwives. “I became involved with MamaBaby Haiti after watching one of their videos. I was deeply moved by the courage of the Haitian midwives,” recalls Bélony. She joined as an official ambassador because of her passion for women’s health and her experience as a maternity nurse. She believes women are the pillars and pivotal agents of change in society.
As a proud Cap-Haitien native, and now Miss Haiti Universe 2021, is Bélony a modern queen? Bélony most certainly considers herself a modern-day queen of the North. She’s the first Miss Haiti from Cap-Haitien, and she considers this a special honor. Ultimately, she believes every woman is a queen and doesn’t need a physical crown to validate their worth.
Bélony represented Haiti well at the 70th Miss Universe Pageant held at Eilat, Israel. “It was exhilarating to live out this dream of mine,” she says. Though she was elated, her experience was incredibly challenging. Her preparation was rushed, difficult, and there turned out to be an extremely unhealthy environment within the national organization, which greatly impacted her mental health. However, she had fun at the actual competition. She enjoyed sharing her Haitian culture and customs. She wanted the world to acknowledge the beauty and strength that still lies within the Haitian nation.
Further underscoring the notion that Bélony is both beauty and brains, she was honored as one of the Top 40 Under 40 from the University of Florida’s list of alumni. “I’m very thankful to have been selected for this prestigious award from my alma mater,” she says. She absolutely loves the University of Florida and is a proud Gator!
Further underscoring the notion that Bélony is both beauty and brains, she was honored as one of the Top 40 Under 40 from the University of Florida’s list of alumni. “I’m very thankful to have been selected for this prestigious award from my alma mater,” she says. She absolutely loves the University of Florida and is a proud Gator! The award was sentimental for her, as she came to the U.S. as an immigrant. To be chosen amongst half a million alumni from the fifth-ranked public university in the nation was an immense honor. As far as her nursing career goes, Bélony is considering pursuing a doctorate in nursing to become a certified nurse-midwife.
What does Bélony do for fun when she’s not delivering babies or attending beauty functions? Well, she’s a big foodie. She loves trying new foods and cooking healthy recipes. She has a large family and enjoys spending time with her siblings. She also loves to pick up new hobbies. She recently started drawing ideas for evening gowns. She’s passionate about arts and creativity, which means she usually works on Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects. She also loves watching a good movie while snacking on vegan ice cream and has a growing obsession with Korean dramas.
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