World Class Beauty Queens Magazine would like to welcome amazing Queen Jaskiran Kaur Uppal Miss India Oregon 2019-2020.
Full name: Jaskiran Kaur Uppal
Title/Year: Miss India Oregon 2019-2020 Miss Bollywood USA 2020
Pageant System: Ravishing Women
Age: 21
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Hobbies: Dancing, spending time with family, cooking, helping the community
Platform: Feedtheneed
Years competed: 2018 to current
Countries visited: India, China, Dubai
Likes: food, music, spending time
Dislikes: seafood, negative energy
Status: Single
World Class Beauty Queens: What does women Empowerment means to you?
To me, women empowerment means to stand together and show the world that beauty is not in the skin, but it is within the heart and mind. By standing together, we are able to gain momentum and build our confidence while striving for success and fulfilling all of our dreams.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your pageant history.
I competed in my first pageant in 2018. It was a last-minute decision to do so, but after seeing a couple of amazing ladies doing it and the wonderful atmosphere of the pageant I decided to partake in it. I was extremely nervous and wasn’t confident in it but I still took the initiative and contacted the managers of the world beauty pageant and told them that I wanted to try it out this year! To my surprise, I had placed the second runner up. This then encouraged me to compete for Miss India Oregon 2019 in which I won 1st place at allowing myself to be crowned as Miss India Oregon USA 2019!
World Class Beauty Queens: What inspired you to do your first pageant?
My Mom is the one that inspired me to do my first pageant. My Mom has always been my backbone and has always helped me strive to achieve my dreams and has encouraged me to never be scared to achieve them. My Mom always states that “if you put your mind and heart into something, you will be able to accomplish it” which is what inspired me to compete for the pageant. My Mom also stated that this would be a great experience for me which will allow me to grow and make new friends! I am truly so happy to have been able to participate in these pageants as it really made me step out of my comfort zone and grow as a person. I truly do recommend participating in a pageant to all girls out there!
World Class Beauty Queens: Why did you choose to compete for your current title?
The reason why I decided to compete for my current title is because I wanted to be a role model for those that allow barriers to get in the way of their dreams. By re-competing for the Miss India Oregon title, I was able to show that you can always succeed at something if you keep trying. I want to show girls all around the world that anything is possible if they put their mind to it.
World Class Beauty Queens: To those unfamiliar with your pageant system please tell us what is it about?
Ravishing Women is a non-profit organization that is the founder of the biggest fashion week in the entire North West as North America Fashion Week with various international designers, models, and celebrities participating in the event every year. Ravishing Women supports women all around and take many initiatives to promote women empowerment.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are you being judged on during the competition?
The things that we are being judged on are how we carry ourselves, and how confident we are. We show these traits through being judged on our traditional wear, evening gown wear, talent round, and a question/interview round. Through this, our marks are gathered and combined for our total scores.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your experience during the competition.
My experience with this pageant was amazing! Since I have been doing pageantry for three years now, I have had many opportunities such as competing in Miss India USA 2018 and 2019 and winning in 2019 for Miss Bollywood. This experience has truly been a blessing as I have met so many beautiful women and have gained so much knowledge about the industry. The best experience of all would be meeting new people and becoming wonderful friends with them no matter who gets crowned. I have been able to make so many long-term friends through the competition which makes the competition even more special!
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your platform or what cause do you volunteer for.
While there are many pageant organizations, I truly feel very humbled to be associated with Ravishing Women which is a non-profit with the mission to Encourage, Inspire, Appreciate and Empower Women. After joining this organization I realized a lot of potential in myself and the importance of being a true queen. As a queen, I am encouraged to be a true community servant leader and be involved in various charity projects helping mankind and promoting world peace and humanity.
Today I am involved in so many philanthropy projects where we are helping feeding underprivileged kids, helping various shelter homes, providing biodegradable sanitary pads and hygiene education to girls and women and also involved in training and education of women.
As a cultural ambassador, I am involved in various events to promote diversity and inclusion. I was recently involved in managing the Festival of Harvest event which is supported by the City of Bellevue and was also involved in the Festival of Color supported by the City of Issaquah. Along with these initiatives, I have also created my own non-profit organization in Portland, OR and have served the community in various ways through the organizations Seva UW, Red Cross Org., and Friends for Trees along with helping at multiple share homes.
World Class Beauty Queens: What appearances have you done with your title?
I have appeared in multiple community events with the Oregon state senator Betsy Johnson, Mayor Anne Mcarney and Clark County Judge Darvin Zimmerman. I have also appeared at the Global Icon Awards in Los Angeles, California to receive the World Peace Messenger as I was recognized for all the community work that I do. I have many more appearances to do and am very excited to share my journey with all of you.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are some of your achievements?
My biggest achievement would be receiving the title of Miss India Oregon 2019 through the well-known nonprofit organization Ravishing Women which works with the mission to Encourage, Inspire, Appreciate and Empower Women. I am actively involved in various philanthropic and charity projects of Ravishing Women and leading the project #FeedTheNeed where nutritious meals are given to kids going to school in India every day. I am currently doing my undergraduate degree at Washington State University Vancouver while double majoring in biology, psychology and minoring in business. My dream goal is to become a dentist and open a free clinic in third world countries.
Another achievement of mine is that I have won first place in a Bioengineering competition twice while representing the state of Washington. Along with this, I have been nominated for the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists Award of excellence from Harvard University. I am very interactive with my community as I have opened my nonprofit organization in Portland, Oregon along with doing different community service projects with multiple different organizations such as Seva UW, Red Cross Org., and Friends For Trees as well as helping at multiple share homes.
I recently have been the recipient of the award for world peace messenger at the world peace diplomacy organization held in Los Angeles at the Global Icon Awards. During my free time, I play soccer for the Washington state Timbers and have been a Bhangra coach for about seven years. My passion for dance and education has been the light to my pathway. With the support of my parents and community I am proud to say I am the first Sikh in Oregon to become Miss India Oregon. I’m honored to be serving the community and honored to be sharing my message with the society. Never give up on your dreams.
World Class Beauty Queens: What makes you stand out from all those other beautiful girls?
Something that I think that makes me stand out from everyone else is that I believe all girls are beautiful and that I accept everyone for who they are. I love the fact that I am a social butterfly that loves to accept everyone for their pros and cons and to think of everyone as being perfect in their own way no matter what. I think this is a trait that sets me apart from everyone else.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about the moment your name was called out as the winner.
When thinking about the moment of when my name was announced as the winner of Miss India Oregon 2019, I was very overwhelmed which brought tears into my eyes. At that time, my hands and body was shaking as I realized that all my hard work had paid off!
World Class Beauty Queens: What does it mean to you to be a Beauty Queen?
Being a beauty queen doesn’t mean doing your makeup, hair, and having sparkling dresses. Being a beauty queen means that you allow yourself to love others and to push yourself to strive for success. My inner beauty has allowed me to achieve many things so far. It has not only allowed me to achieve my title, but it has also allowed me to win the hearts of others allowing them to support me!
World Class Beauty Queens: How did competing in pageants helped your life?
Competing in pageants has helped my life by boosting my confidence. Ever since I was young, I had always been bullied because of my skin tone and the way I looked. Due to this, I was always afraid to put my foot down and tell myself that I was beautiful and that I can do anything/everything that I can dream of. By being in this pageant, I have been able to boost my confidence and self-esteem by giving me the opportunity to live the life that I always wanted to have but was too afraid to pursue. I will always be thankful to my state directors, family and friends for pushing me and giving me the strength to join this competition. To be able to show the world my inner beauty and talent through these pageants has truly been a blessing.
World Class Beauty Queens: How has pageantry help boost your self- esteem and body image.
Through competing in pageants, I have been able to boost my self-esteem by allowing me to gain confidence in myself. At the beginning of 2018, I was too afraid to compete in a beauty pageant but being encouraged to do so by my Mom, I was able to gain the confidence to compete. This choice has allowed me to increase my self-esteem by showing me that I am able to do anything that I put my mind to. Pageantry has also increased the way I look at body image because I have been able to learn that body image isn’t only about how you look on the outside, but it is also about what you think and feel on the inside.
World Class Beauty Queens: You are an inspiration to all the girls out there. How does it feel?
Being someone's inspiration means a lot to me! I was told this year by two teens that were competing for Miss India Teen that I am their inspiration and that I am their role model. When I heard this, I honestly couldn’t explain the tears that filled in my eyes. That was the most amazing reward that I could have ever received from someone. Being an inspiration to others is a very big responsibility as it means that I will be people indirectly through my actions. My goal is to show everyone that a crown is much more than fame and jewels and that it’s actually about giving back and being there for each other.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is your on stage strategy to win the judges over?
Talk with your eyes! It is important to win their hearts with your smile and to blow them away with your positive attitude. I have been using this strategy and I cannot explain the feedback and wonderful compliments I have received afterward.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did you prepare for your competition?
I prepared for the competition through the help of my mentors! They truly did help me learn what I should be focusing on and how to present myself in an elegant manner.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for learning better pageant walk?
A tip to learn for a better pageant walk would be to observe and watch as many people as you can! By watching videos of some of my idols walking the ramp, it allowed me to take notes of what I can do to improve my pageant walk.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for choosing right pageant dress?
A pageant dress is very personal and represents who you are without you having to say a word. It is important to pick a dress that you feel most comfortable and confident in.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for winning interview?
The biggest tip that I can offer is being genuine and confident. Giving an interview can be nerve-wracking, but if you are confident in yourself and can present yourself in a poised manner, then it makes it much easier to convey your passion.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is one mistake that you've done during competing you wish you could redo and fix it?
One mistake that I made that I’ve done during competing that I wish I could re-do and fix was the mistake of not taking care of myself. It is very easy to get caught up in the pageant and forget to take breaks for yourself therefore if I were to redo the pageant, I would make sure I left time for some self-care!
World Class Beauty Queens: What other mistakes are made by girls during the contest?
The biggest mistake that is made by girls during the contest is doubting themselves due to them being nervous. At times they believe that they cannot do the things that they plan to do because they are nervous about being judged by everyone watching them. Every time I encountered a girl thinking this, I try my best to encourage them to pursue their plans. It’s okay to mess up sometimes, but each chance that we don’t take is a chance that is lost.
World Class Beauty Queens: Any modeling or acting experience?
I’ve had a couple of experiences with acting and modeling in the past. Recently I have been getting multiple opportunities in which I am really excited for! I am looking forward to enhancing my modeling and acting experiences.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your plans for being queen in 2020
My plans as queen for 2020 is too make many more appearances at different high schools. Especially going back to mine and being an alumnus and showing the students that I had never thought that a year after high school I would be on multiple platforms. I feel interacting with the young generation is a must as they are going to be the change in the upcoming future. Along with guiding women to enhance there dreams and to not let anything stop you aim for the sky and touch the stars.
World Class Beauty Queens: What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
The legacy that I want to leave behind is to live your dreams and always be a social butterfly. Life only comes once there’s no point in bashing yourself for the mistakes you made, or the regrets you have done. Live life in a that describes you, be that energetic, colorful person that’s hiding behind you. Take chances and just enjoy.
International Director: Dharmatama Saran
National Director: Dharmatama Saran
Your Local Director: Menka Soni Pageant website: Ravaishingwomen.org World Class Beauty Queens Magazine would like to say thank you for this amazing interview.
Jaskiran Kaur Uppal Miss India Oregon 2019-2020, World Class Beauty Queens Magazine, Photo by Alex Tarino
Interview by Derek Tokarzewski Owner/Editor in Chief Mr United Nations 2018 Platform: Women Empowerment Ambassador to International Foundation for Orphans iffocares.org
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