Collete Nwadike

Collette was born on 6 April 1991 in Makurdi, Benue State, to Mr & Mrs Simon and Angelina Nwadike.[7] She has five sisters and a brother and she is the last daughter and second to last child. Although a native of Nise in Awka-South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nwadike grew up in Makurdi in the middle belt of Nigeria, where she did her primary and junior secondary education before moving to Lagos to complete her senior secondary school.[8]

In an interview with Nwadike, she said: "As a young girl growing up, I was always seeing myself as a [beauty] queen when I was three. I kept on looking up to people like Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Regina Askia-Williams. I saw how beautiful they were and how glamorous they looked. I thought of being like these people someday! This is a dream I’ve had for a long time. And it's like I’m living my dreams now."[9] Even as a child she had the ambition of becoming a beauty queen; she was called princess among family and friends. She was inspired in 2001 after watching Agbani Darego,.[10]

Collette went to God's Heritage Nursery and Primary School, Makurdi, Benue State (1993-1995) and Holy Ghost Nursery and Primary School, Makurdi, Benue State in 2000. She later proceeded to Anglican Secondary School, Makurdi, Benue State from 2001 to 2006 and completed her O'Level in Caro Secondary School, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos State. At the age of 16 in 2007, she got admitted into Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, where she studied English and literature under the tutelage of professors Joy Chinwe Eyisi and Rems Umeasiegbu as her notable lecturers.

In an interview with Collette Nwadike regarding her choice of course she studied in the university, she said, "I got the form myself and I actually filled in English Language and Literature for the first time but when it didn’t work out, I got another form and filled in the same course the second time. My interest in English is really in literature. I love reading books and that was one of the reasons I went for literature as a course. I’m really interested in Nigerian literature."[11]

As a child she admired many beautiful models and actresses with glamorous dress and attires. She went for her first ever modeling beauty pageant contest where she participated in the 2010 Miss National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies (NASELS), Unizik Chapter, but failed. Then she was in her first year in the university. She further went ahead to contest for Miss (UNIZIK) Nnamdi Azikiwe University and failed. She thought to try pageant out of school competitions and went for the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) pageant, but unfortunately she didn't even make it pass the auditions. She made it through the Port Harcourt audition but stopped in Lagos. But she didn't back down, she went for Miss Earth Nigeria, where she got into camp in Lekki, Lagos and she did well in camp though she didn't emerge one of the runners-up. The event was held at "Incubator". She was awarded Miss Earth Photogenic. Her race to becoming beauty queen continued in 2012 when she competed for the Miss Global Nigeria pageant. She was strengthened by the support of her mum and realized she couldn't stop, wanting to bring happiness and achieving her dreams. She contested for the Most Beautiful Girl in Abuja and emerged Second Runner-up in 2013. In 2014 she saw the Miss Tourism Nigeria pageant on the Internet. She auditioned in Owerri, Imo State. She then represented Anambra State. The event was scheduled on 17 May 2014 and was held at Ruby Gardens.[16]

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