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ROOTED IN #6. READY TO SERVE! Former National Carnival Queen, Internationally Educated Professional, National Athlete and Youth Development Advocate Steps Boldly Into Politics as PLP’s Candidate for Constituency #6!

From selling sugar cakes in Dieppe Bay to earning four academic qualifications, representing her country and inspiring young athletes, Kalia Huggins brings a compelling life story and a fresh leadership perspective to her bid to become the next Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Six.

TIMES CARIBBEAN | SPECIAL FEATURE | Saturday, November 7, 2026

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS — Every so often, a new personality emerges on the political landscape whose story reaches far beyond party colours, campaign platforms and election-day ambitions.

A personality whose journey speaks of determination, possibility and the extraordinary potential that exists within ordinary Caribbean families.

Meet Kalia Huggins.

Intelligent. Accomplished. Charismatic. Energetic. And deeply connected to the communities that helped shape her.

The newly introduced People’s Labour Party (PLP) candidate for St. Christopher Constituency #6 is bringing a fascinating combination of academic excellence, sporting achievement, professional experience, community involvement and youthful enthusiasm to one of the Federation’s most historically significant political constituencies.

And her story is worth telling.

On Sunday, November 1, 2026, at the Parsons Hardcourt, Huggins was officially unveiled as the PLP’s candidate for Constituency #6, completing the party’s eight-candidate slate under the leadership of former Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris.

For many who knew her as a national athlete, a beauty queen, a highly educated professional or a passionate advocate for youth development, her entry into politics opened an intriguing new chapter.

But to understand the woman now seeking to represent the people of Number Six, one must first understand the little girl who grew up among them.

A DAUGHTER OF NUMBER SIX — HUMBLE ROOTS, EXTRAORDINARY DREAMS

Long before the university degrees, international experiences, national honours and political aspirations, Kalia Huggins was simply a young girl growing up in Parsons Village.

The fifth of seven children, Kalia was raised in a family where hard work was not merely encouraged. It was a way of life.

Her mother, Glenda Romney, worked in the tourism industry, while her father, Glenville Francis, affectionately known as “Peekey,” was a respected carpenter whose work took him into homes and communities throughout Constituency #6.

Young Kalia often accompanied her father, watching him apply his skills, interact with neighbours and assist families.

Those experiences became some of her earliest lessons in service.

Her family’s roots also extend through the Francis, Romney, Huggins and Dickenson families, including her grandfather Austin “Dicky” Dickenson, a well-known electrician, and her grandmother Ismay Francis of St. Paul’s.

From Parsons to St. Paul’s, from Dieppe Bay to Newton Ground, Saddlers and surrounding communities, the constituency was more than the place she called home.

It was her classroom in life.

Kalia’s childhood was filled with the everyday experiences familiar to many Kittitian families.

She collected mangoes and guavas with friends and siblings. She helped sell farm produce in Dieppe Bay. She sold Auntie Janice’s homemade sugar cakes. And she learned the value of earning a little spending money through honest effort.

Those memories speak to something powerful.

Before Kalia studied business management, she had already experienced the realities of small enterprise. Before she entered public life, she had already witnessed the importance of neighbours helping neighbours.

Her beginnings were modest.

Her ambitions were not.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE — FROM DIEPPE BAY TO TAIWAN AND THE UNITED STATES

Kalia’s academic journey began at Dieppe Bay Primary School, where she distinguished herself as an exceptional student and graduated as Valedictorian.

She later attended Sandy Point High School, now the Charles E. Mills Secondary School, continuing an educational journey that would eventually carry her thousands of miles beyond the shores of St. Kitts and Nevis.

And what followed was an impressive demonstration of intellectual ambition.

Huggins pursued tertiary education in Taiwan and the United States, earning four academic qualifications across several demanding disciplines:

• Associate Degree in Psychology
• Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering
• Master of Science in Business Management
• Master of Science in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation

It is an unusual and impressive academic combination.

Psychology provides an understanding of human behaviour. Business management develops organisational and leadership knowledge. Software engineering and digital forensics offer valuable insights into the increasingly technology-driven world.

Together, these fields provide Huggins with a diverse educational foundation that could inform her approach to public policy, economic opportunity, technology, education and national development.

Her professional journey also includes experience at the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, providing exposure to an institution involved in supporting economic activity and development.

For a young woman who once walked through Dieppe Bay selling sugar cakes, the journey to advanced university studies and professional responsibility represents a remarkable personal achievement.

But Kalia’s talents were never confined to the classroom.

FROM THE ATHLETICS TRACK TO THE NATIONAL STAGE

Long before entering politics, Kalia Huggins understood what it meant to compete, to persevere and to represent something greater than herself.

A talented athlete, she travelled from her community to Newton Ground for training and developed her abilities in track and field.

Her discipline eventually earned her opportunities to represent St. Kitts and Nevis in athletics.

She also represented the Federation in netball, demonstrating her versatility and dedication to sport.

Then came another remarkable achievement.

In December 2011, Kalia Huggins was crowned Miss St. Kitts and Nevis National Carnival Queen.

The young woman who once competed in track spikes had proven equally capable of commanding a national pageant stage with elegance, confidence and poise.

For some, such achievements might have marked the pinnacle of an already impressive journey.

For Kalia, they were additional chapters in a life of continuing personal growth.

The discipline of athletics, the confidence of pageantry and the demands of higher education have helped shape a woman comfortable with responsibility, public engagement and new challenges.

These are qualities that can serve a political candidate well.

A PASSION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE — LEADERSHIP BEYOND THE SPOTLIGHT

Perhaps one of the most meaningful aspects of Huggins’ story is her continuing commitment to sport and youth development.

Her involvement in the Dieppe Bay Eagles Football Club reflects a practical interest in creating opportunities for young people.

Working alongside coaches, players, parents and supporters, she has contributed to initiatives helping young athletes develop their abilities, build confidence and gain exposure beyond the Federation.

That involvement has included opportunities for players and teams to travel internationally, with experiences in St. Maarten and England.

Her work has also extended to FIFA women’s football initiatives, providing exposure to the advancement of women in sporting leadership.

These experiences carry significance for a constituency where access to sporting facilities, youth training, recreational activities and career opportunities remains an important public concern.

They also provide a window into the kind of leadership Huggins hopes to bring to politics.

Leadership that recognises talent.

Leadership that values teamwork.

And leadership that understands why the next generation must be given opportunities to succeed.

A NEW GENERATION ENTERS ONE OF ST. KITTS’ MOST HISTORIC POLITICAL ARENAS

Huggins’ political introduction is particularly significant because of the constituency she has chosen to contest.

St. Christopher #6 has been represented since 1989 by former Prime Minister and current Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, one of the country’s longest-serving political figures.

Douglas has announced his intention to seek another term.

Huggins therefore enters an electoral contest involving an established political veteran whose decades of parliamentary experience and longstanding constituency relationships present a substantial challenge to any newcomer.

But this is also what makes her candidacy noteworthy.

She brings a different generation’s experiences, a diverse educational background and a record of involvement in sport and community activities.

Her emergence raises an important question for the constituency: how might a new generation of political leadership respond to evolving community needs while respecting the history and contributions of those who came before?

The answer will ultimately be determined by the people of Constituency #6.

And Huggins now has an opportunity to make her case directly to them.

“I AM HERE BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN LISTENING”

During her November 1 political debut in Parsons, Huggins presented her decision to enter politics as a response to the concerns she had encountered while engaging residents.

Her address focused on the everyday realities of community life.

She raised questions about the condition of sporting facilities, opportunities for young people, support for farmers and fishermen, access to essential services and the need for further community development.

Among the issues she highlighted were water access for farmers, the cost of equipment used by fishermen, improvements to basketball and netball facilities, and a proposed health centre for Newton Ground.

She also spoke about apprenticeship opportunities that could help young people acquire practical skills and improve their employment prospects.

These are matters with direct implications for families, livelihoods and community development.

Huggins expressed the belief that effective representation requires listening to residents and making their concerns central to decision-making.

“I am here because I have heard you. I am here because I have been listening,” she told her audience.

Her remarks conveyed a determination to move from community involvement into formal political representation.

The challenge ahead will be to translate that determination into detailed proposals, achievable priorities and the confidence of constituents.

MORE THAN A BEAUTY QUEEN. MORE THAN A CANDIDATE.

There is something especially compelling about the breadth of Kalia Huggins’ life journey.

She is not entering the public conversation solely on the strength of celebrity or a familiar name.

Her biography reflects years of academic preparation, national representation, professional development and community involvement.

She knows the world of education.

She knows the demands of competitive sport.

She has experienced life beyond the Caribbean and returned with knowledge that could contribute to national discussions.

And she understands, from personal experience, the environment in which many families across Constituency #6 work, sacrifice and raise their children.

Her candidacy also contributes to the growing visibility of women seeking political leadership in St. Kitts and Nevis.

As part of the PLP’s 2026 slate, Huggins joins other female candidates in demonstrating that women from different professional and community backgrounds are seeking greater roles in shaping the Federation’s political future.

That development deserves attention across party lines.

ROOTED IN #6. READY TO SERVE.

For Kalia Huggins, the journey from Parsons Village to the political platform at Parsons Hardcourt is rich with personal meaning.

The little girl who followed her father around the constituency is now seeking an opportunity to speak for those communities in the National Assembly.

The child who sold sugar cakes became a university graduate.

The schoolgirl who trained at Newton Ground became a national athlete.

The young woman crowned Miss St. Kitts and Nevis became a professional and sporting leader.

And now, another chapter begins.

Her entry into politics does not automatically guarantee success. Nor does an impressive biography replace the hard work of developing policy, earning public trust and demonstrating political readiness.

But it gives the people of St. Christopher #6 an opportunity to consider a candidate whose experiences extend across education, technology, finance, sport, youth development and community life.

Kalia Huggins represents a new voice in the Federation’s political conversation — one shaped by humble beginnings, international education, personal achievement and an enduring connection to home.

Her story is a reminder to young people throughout St. Kitts and Nevis that where you begin does not have to determine how far you can go.

That a child from a modest Caribbean household can pursue the highest levels of education.

That excellence can take many forms.

And that the lessons learned in a small village can remain relevant on the largest stages.

The political journey ahead will undoubtedly bring challenges, scrutiny and difficult decisions.

But Kalia Huggins arrives with a life story that offers substance, inspiration and an intriguing promise of what a new generation may contribute to public leadership.

From Parsons Village to the world. From national representation to political aspiration. From humble roots to a new horizon.

This is Kalia Huggins.

ROOTED IN #6. READY TO SERVE.

And her next chapter in St. Kitts and Nevis politics has only just begun.

TIMES CARIBBEAN — SPECIAL FEATURE | ST. KITTS AND NEVIS | NOVEMBER 7, 2026