Kelowna woman, Priyaali Kanti, sponsored by CLAREMAR DELIVERY SERVICE and OKANAGAN HOME CENTRE will be competing at the Miss World Canada Pageant to be held in Toronto this November. Priyaali is the former Miss Kelowna, Miss Teen BC Int. and Miss Teen Canada-Top 5. The Kelowna woman is also a student at UBC Sauder School of Business pursuing Finance and Economics. She started doing pageants to conquer her fear of public speaking, something she has fallen in love with now!
The judging categories for this pageant are Interviews, Public Speaking, Social Media, Swimwear & Fitness, Evening Gown, Online Voting, Modeling, Talent, and Fundraising. Contestants must also present a “Beauty with a Purpose” project which is the heart of the whole program. Kanti immigrated with her family from India in the summer of 2017 and says that because of having a western infusion in her upbringing she was able to acclimate to the sudden life-changing migration. She wants to help other Indian immigrants embody the welcoming spirit of Canada.
Due to the language barrier and culture shock, a lot of Indian immigrants are not able to jump the legislative hurdles seamlessly. Moreover, lack of emotional support due to being away from the family and not finding like-minded people can make it more challenging. Therefore, she will be launching project ‘INDigreat’(India + Integrate), which will create a forum to bring together the Indian community of Canada to battle the emotional and systemic challenges of stepping into a new country: https://gofund.me/860fa4e6.
“The Canadian Immigration process can be long and bureaucratic. Moreover, the laws can be difficult to understand for someone who is not fluent in English/French. Therefore, collaborating with Pathway to Canada, I want to share some basics in an “easy” to understand way, simplifying the financial jargon”, says Kanti. The workshops will also include tips on building credit and applying for a mortgage.
A lot of people ask her how she is able to pursue pageantry despite being short. However, for Priyaali, pageantry is not about being a ‘Model’ but a ‘Role Model’ and so she wants to raise her voice against the “Conventional Perception of Beauty”. She is still looking for sponsors to help her represent her ideas on the National Stage.
To know more about Priyaali Kanti, you can follow her on her Website and Instagram.
