Rochelle Minors has had less than a week to adapt to her new role as Miss Bermuda 2012.But the 22-year-old beauty queen is already gearing up for one of the title’s biggest challenges — representing the Island in the Miss World pageant in China next month.“It has been so fast-paced. I haven’t actually had time to think ‘I am Miss Bermuda’. Some days I am still in shock,” she said.“People come to me and say ‘Miss Bermuda’ and I am like ‘Who [are you talking to]?’ But it’s starting to become a reality. With the preparation for Miss World and trying on the garments, it’s beginning to sink in.”Yesterday the former Berkeley Institute prefect and high honour student tried five dresses and six evening gowns donated by AS Cooper & Sons.The budding model will take speech lessons over the next few weeks to prepare for the Miss World pageant on August 18.“Public speaking was the hardest part of the Miss Bermuda pageant for me because in the modelling field we are not really required to speak and have interviews.“I am a bit rusty with it, so that has been a struggle for me, but it’s looking up. We are working on it and I am confident with everything else,” she said.She said she was both nervous and excited about taking the international stage in five weeks’ time.“We are doing the best we can and I will prepare some more while I am at the pageant as well, so I feel we will be ready.“I like new experiences and I am going to take full advantage of it and make the best of it and hopefully we do well. I am confident because I think my personality will shine through.”Ms Minors told The Royal Gazette she has always been interested in beauty pageants and would watch the girls on TV as a child and pick out her favourites.“I always aspired to be like them because they are confident, strong and beautiful ladies,” she added.Since age seven she has been designing her own clothes; she first realised she wanted to become a model at 12 years old.Her ultimate goal is to develop her own design label called Rochelle Nicole and to teach other Bermudians about the trade.She credits local artist Sharon Wilson as being her biggest role model. “She inspires me because when she first started painting she said she wasn’t very good at it. She just kept at it and was determined because she had such passion for it.“I can relate to that personally because with my fashion designs at time I struggle and have low points.“But I think of [Ms Wilson’s] passion and determination and where it has taken her and it challenges me to keep striving.”At age 14, Miss Minors entered the Miss Teen Bermuda pageant to boost her confidence and give her a head start with her modelling career. She was awarded second runner-up in the 2004 pageant, and the title of Miss Photogenic.“I was a winner that night regardless of the fact I didn’t win,” she said.Ms Minors has been modelling for the past eight years, but is certain people will eventually see she is more than just a pretty face.She has an associate’s degree in art and design from Bermuda College and earned a foundation diploma with merit from the Fashion Design School at West London College.She is currently enrolled in a bachelor’s programme in fashion design at the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester, England.The beauty is also well travelled, having been enrolled in a Semester at Sea educational programme from August until December of 2009.She visited Spain, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, China and Japan as part of that course.“It gave me a global perspective of the world and the issues the world is facing. I was opened up to more cultural experiences and have been able to meet new people and thrive in different cultures.“Just becoming a part of the culture in these countries I got to see so many magnificent things and learn so much about myself.“I learned how to adapt to new cultures and just take in new experiences. I became very open minded,” she said.Since walking away with the Miss Bermuda crown and title of Miss Photogenic on Sunday, Miss Minors has been on a whirlwind ride.She said: “Everyone has been very excited and very supportive. My phone has been ringing off the hook. People have been calling every day and congratulating me.“It’s a great thing to know people support and love me and that they think I will do well in the Miss World pageant.“My mom [Rosalyn] was completely shocked [when I won]. She was probably as shocked as I was on the night and my dad [Marshall] was just a proud father.” She also has an older sister named Cheri.One of her missions during her reign is to make the international community aware of the talent that exists on our shores.“We have very talented artists and very talented models, singers, musicians and poets. I feel that is a genre we don’t get much attention in,” Ms Minors said.Pageant organiser Milika Trott Seymour is hopeful the newly crowned Miss Bermuda will go far in the overseas competition.“She has modelled for a long time so she has that experience behind her so I think she will do very well in that aspect. She is very intelligent and has travelled a lot and been to China already so I am sure she will do an excellent job out there.”