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Are
you currently employed? If yes, what is your occupation?
Yes. I am a Marketing & Business Development Director
Have you completed secondary
school? If yes, where?
Burnaby Central Secondary
Have you completed university/college?
If yes, where?
Simon Fraser University
Languages spoken Fluently
(please include your native language if English is not your native
language)
1) English
2) Punjabi
3) Hindi
4) Urdu
5) Greek (conversational)
6) Mandarin (Currently learning)
List any special training
you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc).
-I have been a competitive dancer for 4 years. Trained in Punjabi
folk dancing called Giddah - where we sing live and make music
from our hands and feet.
-Trained Crisis-Suicide Counsellor
-Mediation Training
-Certificate in Leadership
In what sports, if any,
have you participated and how long have you participated in each
sport?
-Competitive dancer
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.
Simon Fraser University
-Graduated as the Valedictorian of my class-June 2007
-Degree Arts & Social Sciences- Major Psychology, Minor Education
Counselling
-Certificate of Liberal Arts
-Certificate of Innovative Leadership
What charity/charities
have you supported with your time and/or resources over past two
years?
-Sealnet- Tsunami Relief
-Vancouver Crisis Centre
-Gayanh Foundation
What would be your "dream
job" in life?
My dream job would involve traveling the world, learning new languages,
cultures, foods and meeting new people all the time. I would need
something that is fulfilling and helps me help others. I truly
believe the best way to be happy is live your life to its full
potential, and for me that involves helping others. Even now I
have found great peace with my current profession as a Marketing
& Business Development Director for Savemore Plumbing &
Lighting I am able to provide people with affordable luxury. I
do believe a home is a sanctuary and it means a lot to me that
I am able to produce great quality products at reasonable prices
so that everyone can create a sense of Utopia in their home. It's
not necessarily a particular job itself it's what you make of
it, everything contains value and looking at life with a positive
outlook is what makes me happy.
Name one person, other
than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life?
Why?
My Grandmother was and still in my heart is a great inspiration.
She was an ocean full of love and cared for everyone without discrimination
of age, gender or race; she always used to say "everyone
has red blood running through their veins so they are no different
from me and you". That type of acceptance and inner beauty
is something I hold dear to my heart and that lesson is something
I will never forget. I remember asking my grandmother why is it
that I am so fortunate and there are others in the world who have
so much misfortune. Her reply was simple you have been given these
fortunes so that you can help people who have disadvantages. That
is the day I learned the power of, "with success comes social
responsibility" my life's motto. My grandmother was a very
wise woman, with a clean heart and determined spirit; and I strive
each and every day to master such qualities.
What is the proudest personal
accomplishment (other than being in this or any other beauty pageant
competition)
On June 7, 2007 I graduated from Simon Fraser University as the
Valedictorian/Student Speaker of my class. After 4 1/2 years of
University I was done and I was so honoured to hold my degree
which showed the sleepless nights, endless hard work and my appreciation
for education. And on top of that the University had chosen me
as the Valedictorian. I was extremely involved throughout University
sitting on almost every board voicing student rights, attending
Fieldschool in Greece, representing SFU at the Education Without
Borders Conference in the UAE, President of the Psychology Student
Union and Founder of SFU Girls Giddha dance team which is number
one in North America. I felt so humbled that my hard work and
dedication was honoured and I was chosen to speak during such
a magical moment about my journey. That is one moment I hold very
near and dear to my heart.
What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to
do to accomplish that goal?
I am very serious about ending the Sex Trade Industry in India
& China. I plan on completing this goal through Gayannh Foundation;
which I have started with my dance team SFU Girls Giddha. The
foundation aims to provide women with unfortunate circumstances/disadvantages
with greater opportunities including education, health-care, sustainable
housing and microcredits. Miss Universe Canada is a learning experience
for me. When I researched Miss Universe Canada and learned about
all the work she does with SOS Childrens Foundation it really
hit home, and relates to how I want to help these women and children.
Being Miss Universe 2009 will also hold another key to the puzzle;
because by being a part of the Aids Foundation will allow me to
help so many of these women/children who have contracted the disease
and don't know it or have no one to help them, by receiving such
education from the aids foundation I know I will be able to further
help them.
I also would like to start an institution that helps give women
a makeover from the inside out. So many women have low self esteem
and I would like for this institution to get them to love themselves
no matter what they look like. I already have a business plan
for this institution worked out and I am waiting for the right
moment to start it. One thing I have learned is that true beauty
is on the inside, our physical looks will fade one day but a beautiful
person will always be.
I am currently working in the development world even if it is
from the fixtures side. But I love creating beautiful things that
everyone can afford and which makes everyone's life more enjoyable.
I would still like to work alongside Savemore Plumbing & Lighting,
Eurolux Products and Valley Bath & Kitchen Industries and
work on more green initiatives and continue to create affordable
luxury.
I love waking up every day and asking Life what it would like
from me today, so in all honesty what life would like me to do
I will focus on enjoying it whole heartedly.
Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
I was born and raised in Burnaby BC. I grew up being Canadian
and Indian which was tough at first because I was taught collectivistic
principles at home and individualistic in society. Finding the
balance between the two was very difficult but I am lucky I have
such a loving family who have given me the freedom to truly find
myself. I am now extremely happy to say I love both my Indian
side and Canadian side. I have been able to find things I love
about each culture and use them in my life to make it more fulfilled;
I feel like I am so lucky because I do have the best of both worlds.
From my collectivistic principles I have learned to love and enjoy
family/friends and from my individualistic principle I have learned
to love and enjoy myself. Growing up in Canada's mosaic is the
best thing that has happened to me, and I am lucky enough to be
born into it.
List any interesting or
unusual jobs you may have had.
I was a rides operator at an amusement park for two years and
it was one of the most interesting jobs I had. Because at the
age of 15, before I was even able to drive I was given the responsibility
of the lives of children and adults. Sometimes over thousands
of lives were entrusted to me as I operated dangerous rides flipping
people upside down and the like. It was a very fun job; I remember
coming into work in the mornings and being able to go on all my
favourite rides before the Park even opened.
List any volunteering you have done.
-Sealnet - Tsunami Relief in Banda Aceh
-Vancouver Crisis Centre - Suicide and Crisis Counsellor
-Gayanh Foundation - Help to end the Sex trade Industry in India
& China and help women/children with disadvantages
-Childrens Hospital - Organized various charity events to raise
money
-Psychology Student Union - Bringing Psychology students together
in the SFU community
-Variety Childrens Charity
Where is the most interesting
place you have been?
I have always been interested in culture, civilization and development.
Two of the most intriguing places I have been to is Egypt and
Dubai, both rich with vibrant culture and tradition, both have
made historic development structures. Egypt with its Pyramids
which are still standing this day and Dubai with its magnificent
state of the art Modern high-rises; both have made a mark in civilization.
Egypt changed the way we view Ancient civilization and it is extremely
daunting to see how a group of humans were able to create such
marvellous structures without the help of modern technology. Dubai
is changing the modern civilization continuously increasing the
Bar and creating structures that man can only imagine.
What makes you unique and
different from the other contestants?
I believe all the contestants I have met so far are amazing and
everyone holds their own strengths. My reason for being in this
pageant may be different from others, I truly want to embrace
the Miss Universe Canada platform and direct it towards helping
others. For me Miss Universe Canada is an Educational experience,
I would like to learn about all the different organizations Miss
Universe Canada works with and how they are operated to help others.
I would like to take these lessons and apply them towards Gayannh
foundation to make sure we help the disadvantaged women and children
properly. My goal is to become Miss Universe so that I can work
closely with the aids foundation and find out key ways on how
I can help women and children in India & China receive aids
treatment and testing.
Another one of my goals is to better the image of beauty pageants
in Canadian society especially Miss Universe Canada. I used to
be one of the skeptics of the pageant industry and that all changed
when I took the time to research Miss Universe Canada and all
the great work she does. As a former skeptic I know what the misunderstanding
is and I would love to be a part of the re-education of Canada
towards the pageant industry.
What is your philosophy
of/in life?
With success comes Social Responsibility.
What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
In 10 years I would love to look back and remember my great experience
as Miss Universe Canada 2009 and Miss Universe 2009, continuing
the lessons I learned.
I would like to have finished my MBA, created an institution which
helps women from the inside and out. Within 10 years I would like
Gayannh foundation to be strong and helping women all across India
and within 15 years starting our mission towards China. I would
like to have created an environmentally friendly bathroom and
kitchen affordable luxury line which is at the top of world standards;
which saves water and energy but looks amazing, so that I can
do my part in helping the environment but still keep style in
check. I know it sounds like a lot but I am already on my way
to achieving all those goals, I am a contestant in the Miss Universe
Canada Pageant 2009, I have already researched all the MBA schools
I will be applying for. I have a business plan and the financials
worked out for my institution, and I have already started Gayannh
foundation with a mandate in mind. And I work in the luxury bathroom
and kitchen industry and I am working on my second environmentally
friendly line. I am an achiever and I work hard every step of
the way and I enjoy doing it at the same time.
Is there anything
you would like to tell us about yourself? Something unique that
has happened to you? Some interesting thing about you?
One thing that is interesting about me is that I have almost died
several times. Technically/Scientifically I should not be alive
after everything I have been through but the great news is that
I am. I honestly believe that life has a wonderful purpose for
me and I have learned to live life with the attitude of gratitude.
Instead of wondering what my purpose is I have asked life to tell
me what it would like from me and that has lead me through some
amazing experiences.
I would like to leave you with a quote which helps me through
every day, a quote by the great Indian philosopher Patanjali has
had a great influence on my life: "When you are inspired
by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your
thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations,
your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself
in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties
and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater
person than you ever dreamed yourself to be".
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