People of Georgian: Carnival queen succeeds by embracing education

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The Georgian community is full of unique, inspiring perspectives —and we’re sharing them as part of an ongoing series.

People of Georgian: Meet Candice Chang-Sandy

I grew up in carnival.

It’s a festival where people dress up in costumes, with suits and beads and feathers. It’s kind of like the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, formerly known as Caribana.

A person performs during a festival while dressed in a red and white outfit with oversized playing cards, tall feathers, and a sprawling skirt with diamonds and playing cards on it.

Back home in Tobago, my mom started a carnival band more than 40 years ago. About 10 to 12 years ago, she decided to pass the baton to me. I was the only child that basically showed interest and potential to carry on her legacy.

So for the last decade, I’ve been producing carnival bands, and I have been competing as Queen of the Bands.

Since I was three or four years old, I’ve been competing as a Queen of Bands, so I’ve won many titles. I have entered pageants. I won Band of the Year. I’ve done quite a lot in terms of carnival.

‘I could put on a costume, go on stage, and I own that stage.”
Candice Chang-Sandy

Even though I’ve been doing it all my life, I still get nervous going onstage.

But I consider myself a professional masquerader. I have over 30 years in the business, so I could put on a costume, go on stage, and I own that stage. I always end up in the top two or three spots.

Carnival also fills me with a sense of pride.

My culture is something that has a very special place in my heart.

Carnival is also one of the ways you can showcase who you are to the outside world. You can use your creative side to bring across your ideas – and it’s fun!

From ‘humble beginnings’ to international education

Tobago is a country with a population of 50,000. It’s quiet there, it’s scenic, it’s kind of slow, but it’s peaceful. Pretty much everybody knows everybody.

I grew up in a single-parent home, and I was the last of five siblings.

My mom pushed me in education, so I always did well in terms of my academics.

I grew up from very humble beginnings and, you know, education is basically what I used as my driving tool to get me where I want to be.

A person with long black hair, stud earrings, black jacket and pants, and colourful shirt, clasps their hands and smiles.

I’m the only member of my family to have done postsecondary education. Some of my siblings didn’t get to complete secondary school, so this is a really big accomplishment for all of us.

My mom instilled in me that mindset to be the greatest that I can be.

So my motto is, “Reach for the sky, and if you fall short, you’ll still be among the stars.”

Candice Chang-Sandy, a student in Georgian’s Research Analyst program, peer mentor, and winner of a 2022 Dig-BIPOC Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship from Dig Insights.