Walking tall: Sonia wearing the Miss United Nations Ambassador 2014-2015 crown.
GEORGE TOWN: Penang-born lass Sonia Sharma kept reminding herself that great things come in small packages and indeed it happened when she was crowned Miss United Nations Ambassador 2014 in Jamaica.
Standing at just 163cm, the 24-year-old Bachelor of Commerce graduate from the University of Manitoba said she only reached the shoulder height of the over 80 contestants from all over the world vying for the title.
“I kept reminding myself that great things come in small packages and good things did happen. I got to stand right next to the Governor-General of Jamaica during the photography sessions as I was too short to stand behind,” she said at her grandmother’s house in Lebuhraya Halia here yesterday.
Sonia admitted that entering the pageant was not easy.
“While my family was supportive, there were some people who told me that I should not enter because of my height. The only thing constantly on my mind was that I would be mocked if I didn’t win,” she said.
Sonia migrated to Canada with her mother 11 years ago when she was 13.
Prior to entering the pageant, Sonia was actively involved in community work.
“I decided to help those like me by getting involved with New Immigrant Support, a university student group that helps international students to settle in the country.
“My focus is to get involved in more charity work and I will not venture into the entertainment industry, which is the norm for many pageant winners.
“I want to be a chartered accountant and I also want to set up a non-governmental organisation to empower women through education,” she said.
What prompted Sonia to join the beauty contest was a conversation between two teenage girls who felt insecure of their looks and opted to skip the school dance.
“To me, the girls were beautiful and the thought that my cousins might feel the same about themselves bothered me deeply.
“I then researched how I could make a difference and that’s when I stumbled upon the independent international pageant,” she said.
Her grandmother Shakuntla Devi Sharma, 71, wept tears of joy, saying she was proud of her eldest grandchild’s achievement.
