Recently crowned Miss Universe Malaysia 2016, Kiran Jassal has not lost sight of her ultimate dream to run her own orthodontic practice even in the midst of hard preparations for the upcoming international pageant. In a recent interview with Top 10 of Malaysia, the refreshingly down-to-earth beauty queen talks about how courage, determination and spirit, and supportive people have propelled her towards achieving her goals.
Flawlessly beautiful, complete with a winsome smile and regal confidence, Kiran Jassal wowed the crowds and judges and was deservedly crowned Miss Universe Malaysia 2016. She attributes her mother as being her biggest inspiration to join the pageant. “My mum participated and was a finalist in Mrs Malaysia World. Despite being a mother and full-time lawyer, she went all out to achieve her dreams of being a beauty queen. Her strength, courage and determination to step out of her comfort zone proved that age is just a number and was something incredibly impressive to me,” she says.
To Kiran, beauty is beyond skin deep. Not only is the 20-year-old lass a straight-A student, she is a devourer of books and loves competing in obstacle races like Viper Challenge and Bloodrunner. On her free days, she starts her day with a 10-minute silent meditation and works out for about an hour and a half. She also takes this time to catch up on some reading, fiction and non-fiction, and watch her favourite TV series. “I would also research on the pageant and spend time with my parents when they are home from work,” she adds. Her elder sister, who is her biggest supporter, is currently studying medicine in India. Coming from such a close-knitted family, Kiran experienced quite a bit of culture shock when she did her A-Levels at Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar (KTJ) for a year and a half in Mantin, Negeri Sembilan. She was constantly surrounded by people from different backgrounds and ethnicities, each with their own stories to tell. “But KTJ soon became more of a second home, and less of a school; we became family. Living in close quarters with a houseful of girls taught me that compromising was difficult but not impossible. It also taught me to be more independent, especially in decision making,” says Kiran. “And to think that I once dreaded the idea of boarding school!”
Naturally, Kiran aspires to be crowned Miss Universe 2016 and is training hard for it as well as attending events arranged by and through Miss Universe Malaysia Organization (MUMO). “Before the pageant, I was at odds to discover that my catwalk was very weak! However, the girls from the pageant were so helpful and corrected my flaws during the initial stages of the competition whenever possible. I later took catwalk lessons with Amber Chia and practised as much as I could, every day, even with bad blisters, because I knew with determination, hard work and perseverance, I could achieve wonders, and in this case, a great catwalk,” she recalls. “Now, after the pageant, there is a need for an overall improvement in all areas so that I can be the best version of myself when I represent Malaysia on the international stage,” she says. “I’m working hard to achieve that dream and to do Malaysia proud. After my reign as Miss Universe Malaysia is over, I will continue to pursue Dentistry in International Medical University (IMU). In the longer term, I want to set up an orthodontic practice while campaigning the importance of personal and oral hygiene.”
Kiran encourages aspiring Malaysians to believe in themselves and to put in the work to achieve their goals. “Consistency and persistence in our endeavours will pay off especially in the overcoming of obstacles and challenges while pursuing our dreams.”
Issue 24/2016
