I grew up watching pageants and always pictured myself standing on that stage, but I never truly thought I would actually be there. It felt like something beautiful that was just out of reach. Then in March 2026 everything changed. I had reached out to quite a few pageants wondering if this was really the right path for me, and Miss Earth West Midlands was the one that got back to me and stood out. I always say it like this. I did not choose Miss Earth. Miss Earth chose me. It felt like a sign, like something calling me forward. And even though I only had two weeks to get ready, I knew deep down that this was it. I was finally starting.
For such a long time I was the quiet one. I felt like I should not speak even when I had so much I wanted to say. I doubted myself all the time. I would ask myself if I was too quiet for this or if I was not loud enough. There was always this voice telling me I was not the right fit for this world. It was not because of anything I saw on the outside. It was because I had not yet learned to let my voice fill the space I was meant to occupy. But I have always believed in doing the things that feel hard. Stepping onto that stage with only two weeks of preparation was not about being fully ready. It was about being willing. Willing to be seen. Willing to grow. Willing to find out what happens when you stop waiting for permission to shine.
My advocacy is not just a list of causes to me. It is a thread that connects everything I care about. At the very heart of it is this truth. Water access is freedom. It sounds simple but it changes everything. Around the world millions of people and especially women and girls spend hours every single day walking just to collect water. Hours that could be spent in school. Hours that could be spent building skills or pursuing dreams or just resting. When your whole day is defined by searching for something you need to survive you do not have the time or space to build the future you want. You are not truly free. That is why I stand for water access and education and freedom. They are not separate issues. They are one and the same. When you give someone access to clean water you give them back their time. You give them the chance to go to school. To learn. To choose their own path. That is where true freedom begins.
This idea of freedom shapes every part of my life including the choices I have made about my future. I am studying Psychology with Criminal Behaviour and it was not the easy choice to make. Family and friends suggested more popular or practical paths. Things most people pick just because everyone else does. But I did not want to study something just so I could have a job. I believe you should study what you truly want to learn. You should do it because you are interested. Because it matters to you. Because it lights a fire inside you. That is freedom too. The freedom to define success on your own terms. My studies also feed into the work I want to do. Psychology helps me understand people. How we think. What barriers hold us back. How we can lift each other up. Studying criminal behaviour helps me see the systems and inequalities that shape lives. It shows me how we can create communities that are fairer and safer for everyone. It all circles back. If we want a world where everyone is free we have to understand the full picture.
I see the world through many different lenses. I was born in Italy and I am Indian by heritage. I have been raised in England for the last ten years. My roots are spread across continents. It means the people I connect with are not from one place either. I carry connections to people in Italy and in India and here in the UK and beyond. Being multicultural has taught me that there is no single right way to see the world. It has made me deeply understanding of different perspectives and different struggles and different hopes. But it also means I know what it feels like to be different. To not quite fit into one box. And I want this story to tell anyone who feels that way. Being different is okay. You do not have to shrink yourself to fit in. You do not have to speak louder to be heard. You just have to speak more truly. And as long as you are doing exactly what you want to do and as long as you feel free you are on the right path.
Being a finalist for Miss Earth England and Miss Planet United Kingdom is not about the crown or the sash. It is about having a platform to amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard. It is about showing girls who feel quiet or unsure or like they do not belong somewhere. Your voice matters. Your story matters. Your dreams matter. If this story reaches just one person I want them to feel like they do not have to rush. They do not have to be someone they are not. They just have to answer the call when it comes. Whether that call comes in the form of an email or a dream or simply a quiet voice inside saying I am ready.
I may have started with only two weeks to prepare but this is not a two week journey. It is a lifetime in the making. And I am only just getting started.
