By Stephanie Schwartz
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 16, 2002
A UA student, recently crowned Miss India USA, will soon travel to South Africa to represent the United States in the worldwide Miss India Pageant. Priya Arora, 20, an accounting and finance senior, was crowned Miss India Arizona on Aug. 10. She traveled to Los Angeles weeks later to compete against 28 others in the national competition.
"I couldn't believe it; the girls were just so beautiful and talented," Arora said. "But 10 minutes after being shocked and excited I started getting nervous."
The Miss India USA pageant consists of an introductory number, American and Indian eveningwear competitions, a talent section and a question and answer period.
Arora will have the responsibility of representing both the Indian and Asian communities whenever possible, appearing at various events and doing philanthropic work, said Arthy Kumar-Chadha, Arora's pageant coach and organizer of the Arizona pageant.
"She was a great candidate," said psychology senior Archana Patel, Arora's roommate. "She blends both the Indian and American cultures so well and represents both communities."
Arora is looking forward to the responsibilities and obligations that go with her new title. She plans to meet with the Miss India USA from last year soon.
Arora would like to work with underprivileged children as her main philanthropic work, Kumar-Chadha said.
Unlike the previous Miss India USA, who took a year off from school, Arora plans on dropping from eight to five classes, but continuing at the UA.
"My teachers have been very receptive to the idea," Arora said.
Arora had never participated in a pageant before.
Her friends encouraged her after she saw an ad for the pageant online.
Many of Arora's friends and her family cheered her on at the Miss India Arizona pageant, although her family was at first concerned about the idea, she said.
"After (my family) saw me in it, my dad said that I really represented myself and didn't do anything that wasn't me," Arora said. "'It really represented you and it made me happy,' he said."
The worldwide Miss India pageant will be held Nov. 3. Thirty countries will participate in the pageant.
"Winning USA, I had no hopes about it and it was a lot more fun having no pressure," Arora said.
