Indian American Shree Saini is the new Miss India Worldwide, winning the pageant in Ford City’s New Jersey. According to Daily Pioneer, this pageant is said to be the oldest and largest pageant for the Indian Diaspora community. Women from over 17 different countries participated in Friday’s pageant including Sakshi Sinha from Australia and Anusha Sareen from United Kingdom who were the first and second runner ups to Saini.
Saini was just 12 years old when doctors told her they would need to install a pacemaker and that she could never dance again. However being the daughter of two migrant parents, she understood that any goal can be achieved with hard work and dedication. Despite suffering from a heart condition, Saini has persevered and choreographed around the physical challenge.
After winning the Ford City pageant, Saini stated in an interview with The Tribune that “I truly believe your legacy is defined by how you make others feel and the positive difference you make in your lifetime.” Despite being a victim of severe bullying both for her heart condition and her race, she has continued to live by her statement. Using the hurtful words and actions from her dance peers as fuel, after high school, she was accepted to dance with the Joffrey Ballet Company.
Saini has also volunteered for a human trafficking project in Nepal while also taking acting courses at Yale, and taking additional courses at Harvard and Stanford. Now, she is currently double majoring in public administration and business, finding her passion in ending human trafficking.
Along the way, her love for dance and pageants still remained a large part of Saini’s life, and she continued to compete in both on the side. According to Thrive Global, after winning Miss India Washington, she participated in more than 50 events across 10 states and four countries in just the first six months. Her relentless qualities to achieve her ambitions have led Saini to win the hearts of millions.
Saini has become a role model for young girls who have their own obstacles to overcome.
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