“I never saw myself as someone who would do pageants,” she said. “I had a lot of stereotypes in my head. For one thing, I don’t like flashy things, so I’m not really big into the whole glamour part of it. The second thing was that I guess I just thought I didn’t fit into what someone who does pageantry is supposed to look like.”
For these reasons, the 4-foot-11 was reluctant to agree when a dance coach asked her to do her first pageant when she was 17. But, after a lot of convincing, she gave in. Not only did she participate in the small Terre Haute pageant — she won it.
“I knew that the Miss Indiana pageant would be the next step, but at that point I did not want to be Miss Indiana,” Mnayarji said. “That was not really a dream of mine.”
She decided to take a break from pageantry to reflect on who she was and whether or not she wanted to wear a crown again. This past year, she returned to the stage and claimed the title of Miss IU as a senior.
“Since February I’ve been doing the job of Miss IU — getting involved in the Bloomington community, meeting kids, meeting elders,” she said. “I’ve also been practicing my talent, which is contemporary dance, and figuring out what I want to say in my interview.”
All of these activities have been done so when Mnayarji competes in her second Miss Indiana Scholarship Pageant this week, she’ll be ready. And this time, she said, she knows she wants the title.
“This job is not about me,” she said. “It’s about other people. I feel that I have a message that can help not just the Bloomington community, but the entire Indiana community. I’m so excited to share it this week.”
Mnayarji won’t be the only IU student competing in Zionsville this week. Senior Kyla Brummett and Hannah Swan will also be contestants.
“This is my first time competing, so I think I’m most looking forward to experiencing this kind of thing for the first time,” Brummett said. “I’m really excited to spend the entire week with these girls. This is probably the best, most intelligent and caring group of girls I’ve ever been associated with.”
To prepare, Brummett said she’s been reading theSkim for current events, shopping for what she described as “snappy, casual” clothing and doing mock interviews.
“I think the biggest misconception that people have is that these girls are merely pretty,” Brummett said. “But it’s a scholarship program, so it’s about women empowering themselves through education and embracing their femininity.”
After a week of events, the final Miss Indiana competition will take place Saturday.
