Syracuse, N.Y., Feb. 11, 2020 — Syracuse University is full of

interesting students; however, the university only has one

Mr. Teen United Nations. 

Barrington Bucknor is a junior in the College of Arts and

Sciences, majoring in both neuroscience and biochemistry

with an aspiration to become a surgeon. On campus, Bucknor

is involved in Pride Union, University 100 and Camp Kesem.

Bucknor’s future aspirations and campus involvement are not

the only impressive thing about him. 

            Unbeknownst to most people, Bucknor, originally from

Jamaica, was crowned Mr. Teen United Nations 2015 at the age

of 17. Bucknor was invited to compete as Mr. Jamaica in the

pageant only two weeks before. With little to no prior

experience, Bucknor accepted the invitation to compete in the

weeklong pageant held in Jamaica. He admits to having no idea

what he was doing at first and had to learn the ins-and-outs of

pageantry firsthand. 

            Bucknor’s week of pageantry was nothing short of busy.

The first day was full of meetings and greetings, and the second

day was when the real competition commenced. For the talent

portion, Bucknor sang “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. This being

Bucknor’s first pageant performance, he was full of nerves.

At the end of the talent show, a judge approached Bucknor and

said, “You have a shot at winning this. Have more confidence in yourself.” 

            On the third day, contestants participated in a photo shoot and were later interviewed by the judges. This day was an important turning point for Bucknor. He finally found the confidence he needed. Encouraged by the empowering photoshoot and the song “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry, he nailed the interview portion. 

            The following day, contestants participated in a national cook-off. Bucknor prepared candied yams as his national dish. The cook-off helped feed a local boys’ home in Jamaica. Bucknor’s favorite part of his pageant experience was the pageant’s involvement with the local boys’ home. Each contestant was paired with a young boy, who he spent time with and mentored all week. Whenever Bucknor returns to Jamaica, he makes time to visit his mentee. 

            The fifth day was coronation day. The day consisted of makeup, rehearsal and the final performance. Each contestant prepared three outfits to model. Bucknor’s first outfit was a costume: an Arawak Indian costume as displayed on Jamaica’s code of arms. His second outfit was a tennis outfit to signify him playing tennis in high school. And his third look was for formal ware where he modeled a black tuxedo. 

            After Bucknor’s enduring week of pageantry, he was finally crowned Mr. Teen United Nations 2015 at the end of his performance on the fifth day. Bucknor was shocked; he did not expect to win. Overnight, Bucknor became a local Jamaican celebrity. The entire experience was very eye opening for him. Bucknor said, “I gained more confidence and became comfortable speaking to anyone, including Jamaica’s prime minister.”

            Becoming a pageant king made Bucknor realize that he can accomplish anything he wants. It made him feel like people who look like him or that do not come from a traditional pageant background can still snatch crowns and motivate other people while doing it. Becoming a pageant king deepened Bucknor’s self-love and acceptance of himself, as well as boosted his work ethic. 

            Bucknor’s current roommate, Hunter Gorick, stated, “Barrington cares a lot about his current endeavors at SU, and I think pageantry definitely contributed to that hard work ethic I’ve seen from him throughout our time together.” 

            After the pageant, Bucknor started campaigning and recruiting new contestants. His new title became Mr. United Nations Ambassador. The title of ambassador allows winning contestants to advocate for a cause of their choice. Bucknor’s chosen cause is that everyone deserves an education. Bucknor’s first project as an ambassador was a rehabilitation of a preschool in his local community. His goal was to make the children and teachers feel comfortable and proud of their learning environment. Bucknor also worked on other smaller projects, collaborating with other pageant title holders. 

            When Bucknor immigrated to the United States, he took a step back from advocating for his cause. He feels he cannot educate others on the importance of education until he himself becomes fully educated. Although he is spending time focusing on his own education, the lessons he learned from becoming a pageant king are timeless. To quote Bucknor, “We are only here for a moment. Use yours.” 

 

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