Nina Davuluri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nina Davuluri
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Davuluri at the White House Forum on Minorities in Energy, November 2013
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| Born | April 20, 1989 |
| Education | University of Michigan (B.S. in Brain Behavior and Cognitive Science, 2011) |
| Occupation | Speaker and advocate |
| Title | Miss Southwest Michigan's Outstanding Teen 2005 Miss Michigan's Outstanding Teen 2006 Miss Greater Rochester 2012 Miss Syracuse 2013 Miss New York 2013 Miss America 2014 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Major competition(s) |
Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2007 (first runner-up) Miss America 2014 (winner) |
Nina Davuluri (born April 20, 1989) is an American speaker and advocate. She is also a beauty queen who hosted the TV show Made in America.
Nina made history as Miss America 2014. She was the first Indian American to win both the Miss New York and the Miss America competitions. She was also the second Asian American to be crowned Miss America.
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Nina's Early Life and Education
Nina Davuluri was born on April 20, 1989, in Syracuse, New York. Her family came from India. Her mother worked in technology, and her father was a doctor. Her sister is also a doctor.
When Nina was a baby, she lived in India with her grandmother and aunt for a while. She returned to the United States when she was two and a half. Her family went back to India every summer. There, she studied Indian dance. Nina also speaks Telugu, an Indian language.
Nina moved to Oklahoma when she was four. She lived there until she was 10. Then, her family moved to St. Joseph, Michigan. These moves helped her understand different cultures. This experience later became important for her Miss America platform. Her platform was called "Celebrating Diversity Through Cultural Competency." It aimed to help people talk about diversity in a kind and respectful way.
As a child, Nina learned ballet, tap, and jazz dance. She attended St. Joseph High School. She was in the marching band and played varsity tennis. She was also on the Science Olympiad team.
Nina graduated from high school in 2007. She started college at Michigan State University. Later, she transferred to the University of Michigan. She graduated in 2011 with a degree in brain behavior and cognitive science. After college, she took more science classes. She had thought about going to medical school. However, during her time as Miss America, she decided not to pursue a medical career.
Becoming Miss New York
Nina became interested in beauty pageants when she was 16. Her sister had won a local pageant. Nina learned that pageants could help her earn money for college scholarships.
She first competed in the Miss America's Teen division in Michigan. She won Miss Southwest Michigan's Outstanding Teen in 2005. Then, she won Miss Michigan's Outstanding Teen in 2006. She was also the first runner-up at the Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2007 pageant. She won almost $25,000 in scholarships.
After this, Nina focused on her college studies for a few years. After graduating from the University of Michigan, she returned to pageants. She wanted to earn more money for graduate school. In 2012, she won Miss Greater Rochester. She was also second runner-up in the Miss New York 2012 pageant.
Nina tried again the next year. She won Miss Syracuse 2013. Then, she was crowned Miss New York 2013. Nina has shared that she lost 53 pounds. She believes that "you don't need to be a certain size to be healthy."
Winning Miss America
Nina Davuluri was the first Indian American to win the Miss America pageant. She held the title of Miss America 2014 from September 2013 to September 2014. She was also the second Miss New York in a row to win. Before her, Vanessa Williams was the first African American Miss America in 1984. Nina was also the second Asian American to win Miss America. The first was Filipino American Angela Perez Baraquio in 2001.
For her talent performance, Nina danced to the song "Dhoom Taana." This song is from the movie Om Shanti Om. Her dance was a mix of Bollywood and Indian classical dance. It was the first time Bollywood dance was performed on the Miss America stage. Nina later said that some people told her she would "never win with a Bollywood talent."
During the final moments of the pageant, Nina and Miss California Crystal Lee were the last two contestants. Nina said that both she and Crystal were "so proud." She added, "We're making history right here, standing here as Asian-Americans." She later described that moment as "very surreal."
I really wanted to help effect a change in beauty standards . ... Miss America's branding is so associated with the girl next door, which has always meant blonde hair and blue eyes with only a few exceptions, but the girl next door must evolve as the country evolves. When I was younger I wanted to fit in, but I was aware growing up that I didn't fit that mould, and I really wanted to help make a change that meant young girls wouldn't feel like that.
After Winning
After Nina was crowned Miss America 2014, some people posted negative comments online. These comments were about her background. Many people supported Nina in response. Students at Duke University and Yale University created videos and photo campaigns. They wanted to show their support for Nina. Miss Kansas Theresa Vail also spoke out against the negative comments.
Actor George Takei posted on Facebook about the situation. He said he was surprised by the negative reactions. He wondered if people had learned anything about acceptance. Many others also spoke up against the unfair comments.
Some people in India and the Indian community abroad talked about Nina's win differently. They discussed how skin color is viewed in India. They noted that Nina's darker skin might have made it harder for her to win a beauty pageant in India. Nina herself said she was interested in supporting the "Dark is Beautiful" campaign. This campaign promotes beauty in all skin tones.
Nina's Platform
During her year as Miss America, Nina promoted her platform. It was called "Celebrating Diversity Through Cultural Competency." She also promoted STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. She spoke to high school and college students about these topics.
Nina explained her platform as "Circles of Unity." She encouraged students to use social media to spread cultural awareness. She wanted them to fight against ignorance.
Nina also met with President Barack Obama. This meeting was for the Children's Miracle Network Hospital Champions at the White House.
Nina as a Speaker and Advocate
After her year as Miss America ended in September 2014, Nina continued her work. She became a public speaker and advocate. She speaks about diversity, gender equality, and STEM education.
In September 2014, she helped host an event for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This event was at Madison Square Garden. In July 2015, she took part in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi. About a year later, in March 2016, Nina traveled to India. She visited Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Vijayawada. This trip was for the U.S. State Department. She discussed women's education and participated in International Women's Day events.
Nina still speaks at colleges about diversity and STEM. In October 2014, she spoke at East Carolina University. She talked about challenges she faced growing up. The next month, she spoke at Northeastern University about women in STEM. In March 2015, she spoke at Harvard University about gender equality. Later that month, she discussed diversity at Princeton University.
Awards and Recognition
- India Abroad Face of the Future Award 2014.
- In February 2015, Nina was elected to the Miss America Foundation Board. She was the first Miss America to be elected to this board.
- In August 2014, fashion designer Tony Bowls created a shoe named "The Nina" in her honor.
See also
- Indians in the New York City metropolitan area
