Miss Teen Aashritha wants to be a pediatrician to pursue her passion for helping children

Aashritha RoyyuruMISS Teen Canada-World Production conducted a provincial level competition in British Columbia in the first weekend of March 2014. The competition had many levels of elimination and focused more on intelligence than beauty. The competition had interview rounds, platform and introductory rounds, an evening gown catwalk, an office wear catwalk, an opening number and other features. The results were announced on Sunday night and Aashritha Royyuru, 14, a Grade 8 student from Surrey, was a finalist and is currently Miss Teen Southern British Columbia 2014.

She will be going to Toronto in July to the nationals. She is the youngest among the finalists and is the only title holder for 2014 that is of Indian origin. She has won many awards. She is volunteering for United Nations organizations in 2014 to work with charity foundations around the world.

If Aashritha were to be chosen in the top 20 at the nationals, she will be eligible to go to international Miss Teen competitions and visit countries representing Canada for fundraising organizations and foundations.

She is very thankful to her family, friends, and community for all their support.

Aashritha’s aim is to be a pediatrician so that she can pursue her passion of helping children. To fulfill this aspiration on a larger scale, she says that she would like to become the Indo-Canadian ambassador.

She’s an exponent of Indian culture and is keen on upholding her heritage. She has been undergoing Indian classical dance training for the last five years with Saritha Rajesh, and is also encouraged by Jayalakshmi Ravindra. She has given over 40 dance performances in Metro Vancouver and India. Her hobbies include skating, basketball and photography. She is a budding orator and enjoys elocution, having won first prize in an inter-school competition. She is also a keen swimmer and is looking forward to be a lifeguard in the summers and maybe even save lives.

She says she is inspired by her father who is a social activist and also her mother who too is an Indian classical dancer.

Her motto in life is: “Believe with all your heart that you will do what you meant to do.”

Here are some of her answers to the questions that were put to her at the Surrey contest:

Q: What is your definition of beauty?
Aashritha Royyuru
A: I personally think being beautiful is not in any form of physical appearance. You are beautiful when you are humble, when you are selfless, when you have a positive look on things and when you give back and appreciate to everyone around you, whether it’s your family, friends, or community.

Q: Is age just a number to you?
A: I truly believe it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can always be young if you are young and true at heart. Even if you feel that you are very old in age it doesn’t matter as long as your intentions are positive and your perspective on life is positive. I have many examples in my life like my grandparents and other family who always remind me that age is just a question of mind over matter.

Q: What would you like to work as when you are older?
A: I am young but I am very confident of my future. I want to do whatever I can to make my future bright, so I can help other people. When I am older, I want to enter the field of medicine, and specialize in pediatrics. I have a strong bond with children and as they are the future, I believe we need to take care of them to ensure that the future is bright. I feel that the world has a lot to offer for children but they just are not aware of their opportunities. I want to be that person who lends a helping hand and is by their side throughout and in each step when they are building their future.

Q: If you had to chose intelligence or beauty, what would you chose?
A: I think you can have anything in the world, use it in a positive and in a beneficial way to make yourself beautiful. I believe being intelligent is beauty. Hence choosing intelligence is basically choosing beauty since if you are intelligent you are beautiful.

Q: What is your platform?
A: My platform is to spread the word to everyone that we are tremendously lucky to be here living in Canada, with everything we want at our fingertips. Even though we are so lucky why aren’t we doing anything? There are people around the world who are unfortunately under-privileged and under the poverty line and, I feel like we should all work together and help each one of them out. I’d just like them all to remember that even if they say that the sky is the limit, there are footsteps on moon.

(Contributed)

Photos by Chandra Bodalia