Raghavan may become only the 2nd Indian American to do so, after Nina Davuluri.
By Raif Karerat
Follow @ambazaarmag
An Indian American teenager from Connecticut is considering competing in the Miss America pageant, which would make her only the second Indian American to do so after Nina Davuluri won the competition in 2014.
Sapna Raghavan, 17, who was recently crowned “Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen 2015″ in June, is now considering following in Davaluri’s stiletto-heeled footsteps.
“I am considering to participate in Miss America pageant,” Raghavan told India New England News. “It is an option, but right now I am focusing on my Bharatnatyam dance and applying to colleges.”
In Connecticut, the Miss competitions are organized by the Miss Connecticut Scholarship Corporation; it is the state preliminary competition to the Miss America pageant as well as the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant.
Raghvan’s platform with the Miss Connecticut Scholarship Organization is based on cultural competency, according to the outlet. She wants all to recognize that diversity truly encompasses being different and by embracing those differences, we are a better people.
“America is a nation built on uniting people of all cultures, and that by recognizing our roots, we can move forward as a strong nation and further broaden our perspectives,” Raghvan said.
A student at the Ellington High School in Connecticut, Raghavan serves as an ambassador to an international non-profit organization Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. She is also member of the “Developing Positive Youth Culture” group in Ellington, which promotes well-being among youth in the community.
Raghavan’s eventual goal is to work with the United Nations while sustaining a career in Bharatnatyam, reported the Indo Asian News Network.
Winning the Miss Connecticut pageant afforded Raghavan the opportunity to contest in “Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2015” — a national pageant open to teenagers aged between 13 and 17. While she did not win the competition, she received a $1,000 scholarship and national recognition for performing a Bollywood-themed dance on-stage.