Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | June 14, 2020

Miss Beverly Hills Teen

Behind every successful woman… is a woman. Amulya Chava, from California, USA, is an example of woman power. Amulya, began participating in beauty pageants at the age of 16, two years ago. Since then she has come a long way by way of confidence and the Miss Beverly Hills Teen Crown.

Amulya’s parents immigrated to the US of A (Mississippi), from Telangana, Hyderabad. They moved to California when she was a year old. “Growing up, my mother has had a very big influence on who I am today. She faced a lot of problems after migrating but was able to find her way through that and raise me and my older sister. Mum has given us so much support emotionally and financially,” reveals Amulya, a political science student who has plans to attend law school. “Becoming a civil rights lawyer is been one of my biggest goals.”

Miss Beverly Hills Teen and much more…

Apart from Beauty contests, Amulya, who confesses to being very good at her mother tongue Telugu, has been actively involved in raising funds and awareness for American war veterans and their families. Recently, she was given honorary recognition from a division of the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization for the work that she has done for her country’s soldiers and veterans.

That’s not all, a few weeks ago, Soar, her first book was released. Soar, available on Amazon, deals with societal pressures young women, especially teenagers face during their growing-up years.

For the past few weeks, Amulya has been training online with Cocoaberry Talent and Academy, honing her skills with India’s finest Alesia and Anjali Raut. Her goal is to give Miss USA a shot. Commenting on the path she has begun two years ago, Amulya says that she has become a different person. “I would say that I started to really trust life’s plan for me. Before I entered pageants, I always liked to have things planned out. If it did not work out, I felt devastated. I now believe that things happen for a reason. I remember the first pageant I participated in, I lost and I was devastated. Later, I grew so much that I realized that if I had won the first time, I would not have grown. Looking back, I’m glad I lost the first pageant. You just need to work hard and have hope.”

Opening Doorz connected with the confident Amulya Chava over telephone for a tête-à-tête.

Getting on the glam bandwagon…

One day when we were chatting, Mum casually said that I should try doing Pageants. I agreed and entered a local pageant just for fun, thinking I would move on after that. I ended up liking the entire vibe of the pageant world. The opportunity that you get to speak about yourself, the photo shoots…  I enjoyed every moment of it. And here I am today, hoping to continue my journey.

During these two years, I was crowned Miss World Kansas and went to the National Level to compete in Miss World America, where I ended in the Top 15. This was in October 2019. I was the youngest national finalist, just 17 years old. It was a unique experience for me. I had never competed in a Miss Pageant. It made me more competitive. I was able to challenge myself with older girls who were much more experienced than me. Right after this contest, I competed in the Miss Beverly Hills contest and won!

Reaching out to American War Veterans…

I have a family member who served in the Indian Air Force for 30 years. I believe that the struggles the families face are similar in any part of the world; the pain of not having loved ones around you, of not being there around them on special occasions… It is very important that civilians like us show our appreciation for the people who serve our country. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the associated common mental health issues common with war impact persons differently. They can trigger traumatic events of the past and we need to stay sensitive to these people. They have been through a lot in their lives and we need to be compassionate about that.

Working with them has also helped me in many different ways; it has helped me be more grateful for what I have in my life. When I go to the Veterans Hospital close to my home, I have the opportunity to interact with patients in the blind ward and also those with physical disabilities. These veterans have been injured during their service time. I have been moved beyond words.

Training with Cocoaberry, from India…

I have worked with a lot of different cultures in the US and all have contributed significantly to what I am today. Every country has a specific approach to a walk. I wanted to learn a different approach and apply that to what I already knew. I believe learning should never stop. That way you become a unique individual. I would definitely say that I have been able to change my perspective and think about a lot of things related to modelling and ramp walks.

Miss Anjali emphasizes on a lot on reading and watching movies that inspire viewers, like Invictus. She encourages you to do these things to expand your vocabulary and thought process and also have awareness of social issues. This helps one to have a deep train of thoughts and helps when one is on stage during a pageant. With Miss Alesia, I was able to grow in my ramp walk posing. Before, I used to lose my balance! She has helped me come up with newer techniques, which has increased my confidence significantly.

Soar, empowering women to ‘just be’…

I took six months to write this book, which is tailored for young women. Today, young women face ‘Societal Pressures’ about what size they should be to the way they should look to the manner in which they should portray themselves to being fair-skinned. This makes it difficult for young women to love themselves in the skin they are born in. I too, at times, did feel pressured to look or act a certain way. This is why I decided to write this book so that other young women do not let societal standards define their world. All that matters in life is what the woman believes about herself and what she wants to achieve and believes that she can achieve whatever she wants without being pressured.

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