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Jing Zhang

Priya Serrao, a 27-year-old law graduate and full-time policy adviser at Australian trade development agency Global Victoria, was the surprise winner of this year’s Miss Universe Australia.
Here, the first Indian-born Miss Universe Australia talks about diversity, migrating to the country and how the win was a crash course in social media.
What was it like winning Miss Universe Australia this year?
It was surreal – especially because I didn’t have any prior modelling or pageant-related experience. It took about a month for everything to sink in! There are still times I pinch myself when thinking about it.
How does your title affect your job as a policy adviser with Global Victoria?
I went back to work two days after winning my title. Luckily my supervisors have been great about letting me take time off to go to appearances and other commitments so I have been able to balance the two pretty well so far.

What are you hoping to achieve?
For now, I’m living in the moment and taking in every day one at a time. I want to make the most of this incredible experience and be open to where it takes me! At the end of the day, I’m happy if I am contributing to society in any shape or form.
Why did you decide to compete?
I first decided to apply after seeing last year’s winner Francesca Hung post on Instagram about her positive experience. I thought it’d be an incredible way to gain a platform and use it to talk about issues that are important to me, collaborate with non-profits and undertake some interesting work.

Tell us more about why you studied law.
I studied law because the knowledge and skills a person gains from the degree are valuable and can be used to make a substantial impact on society. By the time I’d graduated I had completed 6½ years of tertiary education – let’s just say I was more than ready to graduate.
You’re of Indian ancestry. How does it feel to be representing Asian beauty for Miss Universe Australia?
I feel proud to be representing Asian beauty for Miss Universe Australia on the international stage. Australia is a melting pot of different cultures with almost half of all Australians either born overseas or have one parent that was born overseas. I think I embody this diverse population and I’m excited about bringing this to Miss Universe.

You were born in India, and lived in Oman and Dubai as a child. How did you adapt to Australia? 
I was quite a dramatic kid growing up and I enjoyed moving around because I saw it as a chance to reinvent myself. Moving to Australia was difficult though, because it was very different to my experience in India and the Middle East.
I remember my family and I experienced difficulty understanding the Australian accent and jargon, and all of us have experienced some form of racism. I tried to assimilate by watching [Australian TV show] Neighbours every night to learn the Australian accent – it was a whole lot of faking it until we made it.
How would you like to put your win to use? 
I have been using my win to talk about my personal experience growing up as a migrant in Australia and participating in discussions about what it means to have inclusive societies and workplaces.
I think I occupy an interesting space which allows me to bridge the communication gap between different groups of people. I want to use this advantage to continue working in this space and collaborate with people and organisations whose values align with mine.

What do you think your win means to the pageant scene?
After my win, my national director exclaimed that I’d ‘broken the mould’. I think my win signifies that a person doesn’t have to be a pageant veteran, a social media influencer or model to win the title. I hope that other young Australian women and girls can see it as a useful, powerful stepping stone into a range of careers.
What’s the most glamorous thing that’s happened to you so far?
I got a chance to speak to – and take a selfie with – Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan which was incredible! I also sat next to [South Sudanese-Australian model] Adut Akech at Melbourne Fashion Week and completely lost my cool.

What are some of the most interesting things about this journey?
Since winning, I feel like I’ve had a crash course in digital marketing. I’m also much more aware and cautious of how I consume information on social media since participating in the pageant. Another interesting thing is the level of autonomy I have in shaping this year according to my interests and ambitions.
Finally, the level of commitment [after winning] is a lot less than I thought it would be and I find that so far I have been able to balance full-time employment with my Miss Universe Australia responsibilities.
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What would surprise people the most about beauty pageants?
One of the most common misconceptions is that women who participate in pageants are catty and malicious. I didn’t experience any of this during my time as a state or national finalist. I have caught up with several participants since the national finals and there’s been nothing but support from all of them. In fact, Bella, who was the first runner-up, is now one of my good friends!


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