Miss Universe® Canada 2008 - The Magic Continues

AGE: 20 | HEIGHT: 5'6" | HOMETOWN: NORTH VANCOUVER, BC

Sahra was born in Tehran, Iran in 1988 and moved to Canada seven months later. Her family has spent over eight years in Montreal and almost 12 years ago, they moved to Vancouver. She is a very cultural and family oriented person.

Sahra has been raised to know the importance of family values and education. Being a Canadian who was born in the Middle East, she is proud to live in a multi-cultural and open-minded place; where no dream is out of reach.

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Biography (click to open) ±

Sahra started attending the University of British Columbia directly after high school. Now in her second year, she is studying Economics and English. She hopes to get her degree in Business with a Minor in French. Down the road, Sahra hopes to learn Italian and Arabic, attend graduate school, and become a successful businesswoman. Besides business, she finds it crucial to be involved in her community.

Sahra's interests range from sports to performing arts. She loves competitive volleyball and basketball; life guarding and coaching; writing and singing. She has a unique love for music. Singing is her passion. Through her lyrics, she reveals her thoughts expressing a sense of relief in her soul. Music is her survival.

It is essential for Sahra to accept and learn from every experience with an open mind, good or bad. Whether life brings excitement or misfortune, every experience provides personal growth. She tries to acknowledge change each time and mature from it, and then pass her understanding to others. Her biggest dream is to share all that she has learned, mentally and emotionally, to others. She plans to write a book in the next few years about her lifelong journey towards stability.

With the title of Miss Universe Canada, her voice will be heard and her ideas will fall into place. Sahra would like to erase any inequality that still lives between men and women in certain parts of the world. To our youth, who are our future, she wishes to show them to always be themselves and to be real. Different is beautiful.

Questionnaire (click to open) ±

Are you currently a student? If yes, where? Area of study:
Yes, I am currently enrolled in the Pre Commerce Transfer Program at University Of British Columbia (UBC).

Have you completed secondary school? If yes, where?
Yes. I completed secondary school at Carson Graham Secondary School in North Vancouver.

Have you completed university/college?
No, I am currently in my second year at UBC.

Have you completed any technical/professional school? No

Languages spoken Fluently (please include your native language if English is not your native language)
Persian
French
English

List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc).
I sang with a vocal coach for several years and i was in a Hip Hop dance class in high school. I love to dance but singing is my passion. My lyrics speak words that come directly from my heart.

In what sports, if any, have you participated and how long have you participated in each sport?
I started playing basketball and volleyball at the age of 12 and I played all throughout High School. I have been swimming since I was 5 and received my Life Guarding License at the age of 18. I love all sports, from indoor soccer to snowboarding. Because I am a competitive person, I chose to become a basketball and volleyball coach for elementary students.

Please list any schools and universities (public/private/graduate/trade or technical) you have or are attending, as well as the area of study, graduation date and any degree or certification you received.
I am currently attending the University of British Columbia. My main focus is Economics and English. I am enrolled in the Pre-Commerce Transfer Program. I am completing my second year at UBC. I would like to major in International Business and minor in French. My next step will be attending a graduate school. Eventually, I hope to combine the art of design and the strategies of business. With goals, passions, and everything else, education is still essential to me.

What charity/charities have you supported with your time and/or resources over past two years?
I worked with the Big Brother Organization for two years. Every week, I would spend a few hours with my "little brother". It was a life changing experience not only because of the satisfaction I feel for helping a child in need, but because of how much I learned about myself and life. I also support the Salvation Army.

What would be your "dream job" in life?
My dream job is more of a hobby than a "job". I wish to combine what I love to do with my career. I want to design and create change through a business, perhaps through my several future businesses. I want to become a successful businesswoman; and I would love to keep singing. And realistically, I hope to write a book about the experiences that have lead me to become who I am today.

Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life? Why?
My aunt, Sara. I believe that everyone is entitled to true happiness, along with health and love. My aunt has taught me to trust my life in God's hands and to accept change as it comes into my life. Although she doesn't live near by, every time we reunite I am amazed by her independence as a woman and her exceptional view of life as a person. As my role model, she has taught me to never settle for less than what will make me happy. "Ifs" and "Buts" are only bumps on the road to happiness. Because of her, i have learned how to be a role model to young women around me.

What is the proudest personal accomplishment (other than being in this or any other beauty pageant competition)?
Three years ago, I experienced the horrible feeling of being heart broken. Being an emotional and sensitive person, I felt like I had to rely on somebody else to survive. Depending on other people never let me feel complete for more than a day. I used to wish for a "real" friend. Today, I am proud because I know better. I stand on my own and I know that I am given this life, because I am strong enough to live it. So, I face my problems and I move on. Now, I feel eternally complete and the only thing I wish for is the chance to teach the value of independence to others.

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?
I want to receive my bachelor in business and attend graduate school. However, I don't want the next eight years of my life to only consist of school. I wish to start my own organization for "Women Against Discriminatory Laws." I want to raise awareness to the inequality between men and women in certain areas of the world. As a Canadian from a Middle Eastern background, I feel like I can combine my diverse experiences to create a major change not only in those countries, but also in the world.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
I was born in Tehran, Iran in 1988 during the Iran and Iraq war. My family and I moved To Turkey when I was six months old. From there, we moved to Montreal, Quebec and started our lives all over again, in a different environment. In 1996, our next move was a long but adventurous drive across the country to Vancouver, British Columbia. I have been living in Vancouver every since. I continued studying French in Vancouver and never lost touch of the Persian culture. I was raised in a loving family with both my parents and my little sister. My parents are young and because of our closeness in age, the four of us are not only family but also good friends to each other.

List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.
When i was thirteen, my best friend and I had a newspaper route. We had to distribute newspapers to all the houses in our neighbourhood, sometimes in the pouring rain!!

List any volunteering you have done.
I like tutoring Math and French for students who are starting high school. Also, I voluntarily coach elementary students in volleyball and basketball. I have also volunteered at a daycare with the cutest children whom I fell in love with. A few years ago, I was a peer counselor to younger students and those who are my own age. I would talk to people about their problems and issues in school and at home.

Where is the most interesting place you have been?
The most interesting place I have ever been is Nelson, BC. I was there on a trip with my school choir in high school and I was amazed by its residents. Because Nelson is small, everyone knows everyone. I felt like I was being welcomed into a large family. Every single person is friendly, open-minded, and goes out of their way for another. It was unbelievable and exactly the way I want the whole world to be.

What makes you unique and different from the other contestants?
I am driven. I have the potential and the ambition to turn this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity into the most world-changing experience not only for myself but also for millions of people around me. Considering my Middle Eastern background and my experiences as a Canadian, I feel like I can touch hidden areas that many other people can't even see. I can be the difference because of what I have seen and what I have learned.

What is your philosophy of/in life?
My philosophy is that if everyone should "be [themselves]; everyone else is taken". A real and unchangeable person will lead everything else to fall into place. With everything in its place, happiness follows. Then, and only then, happiness can truly be spread to others.

What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
In 10 years, I hope to have my business running successfully and I hope to notice my impact on other people. I hope to be in love and ready to start a family. I would like to be close in age with my children so I can relate to them as much as I can. Ten years from now will only be the beginning of my life journey in this world.

Is there anything you would like to tell us about yourself? Something unique that has happened to you? Some interesting thing about you?
I am a very family-oriented and culture-loving person. I believe in God more than anything else. With faith, love, and support I can be the difference that I wish to see in our society. Being a Canadian originally from Iran, I have learned to appreciate the opportunities and the chances that I have been given.

The many differences between these two environments have shown me a greater perspective. I feel as though, because of my strong will and gratitude, I can rise to anywhere and do anything I want. I am unstoppable and I am unchangeable. I know that beauty gets the attention, but personality gets the heart; so get to know me, you will love me.