Miss America 2014: 5 Things to Know About Miss New York, Nina Davuluri

Newly crowned beauty queen is first Indian-American to win pageant

By Rebecca Macatee Sep 16, 2013 1:29 PMTags
Nina Davuluri Donald Kravitz/Getty Images

We don't have royals here in America, but we still have gorgeous young women with perfect blowouts and tiaras!   

Case in point? Miss New York, Nina Davuluri, who on Sunday, Sept.15, was crowned Miss America 2014.

But just who is the 24-year-old beauty queen—and why has she been in the headlines before? Here are five things you need to know about Nina Davuluri.

1. She Celebrates Diversity: Nina is the first Indian-American ever to win the pageant, and she's faced some racial backlash as a result. "I have to rise above that," she said, per CNN. "I always viewed myself as first and foremost American." Nina's family immigrated from India 30 years ago.

Getty Images

2. She Reportedly Had a Beef with Her Predecessor: According to Page Six, Nina called former Miss New York and previous Miss America title holder Mallory Hagan "fat as [bleep]." According to a source, the attacks "were brought to the board of the Miss America pageant." During the actual pageant, the young women showed no signs of animosity.

Twitter

3. She Has Her Own Weighty Issues: According to a local Syracuse paper, Nina struggled with her weight and suffered from bulimia in the past. After seeing a photo of herself and the weight she'd gained, she said to herself, "This is not who I want to be, and it is not the way I want to portray myself to the world." From there, she worked with a trainer to exercise and eat healthy as part of her "weight loss journey."

Twitter

4. She's a Nerd: A self-proclaimed nerd, that is! In Nina's official Miss New York bio video, she jokes she's "kind of a nerd," adding, "I love Star Wars, Star Trek and anything sci-fi."

Donald Kravitz/Getty Images

5. She Plans to Go to Med School: Nina graduated in 2012 from the University of Michigan with a degree in Brain Behavior and Cognitive Science. According to her Miss New York bio, she plans to apply to medical school and pursue a career as a physician.

Congratulations to the beautiful, talented and very smart, Miss America!