Vanessa Tevi Kumares was crowned Miss Universe Malaysia 2015 in April. Vanessa, who graduated with a degree in Tourism Management from the University in 2014, is of Chinese and Indian descent, and was born in Kuala Lumpur and raised in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.
After graduating from the University of Sunderland, she took an internship at the Marriott in Chandler, Arizona, United States, for a year before working for a hotel in Singapore.
A self-confessed adrenaline junkie, the 24-year-old skydived off a plane in Byron Bay in Australia, bungee jumped off the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge, jumped off cliffs in Arizona and climbed Mount Kinabalu. Winning the Miss Universe Malaysia 2015 title seems almost tame in comparison for Vanessa, who beat 16 other aspiring beauty queens.
“I was almost in shock and it didn’t really register until the next day when I saw my face on the front page of The Star,” said the beauty queen.
“I was kind of average in secondary school. I studied Science then, but I’m more of a people-person and love interacting with others. At Taylor’s University (Lakeside campus, Selangor), I did well and was at the top of my class. Guess when you enjoy what you’re doing, it comes easy,” she said.
Since her win, her life has taken on a whirlwind pace. Like any other beauty queen, her schedule will be filled with training and grooming workshops, interviews and photoshoots. It’s going to be a heck of a ride for 'the Miss Universe Malaysia' as she prepares for the Miss Universe finals in China later this year.
“I’ve been following the pageant since 2012 when Andrea Fonseka was the national director. I’ve watched past winners such as Carey Ng and Kimberley Legget, and admire how they’re grown to become poised, confident women,” she says. In fact, Vanessa had applied to be a contestant when she was 19, but later decided she wasn’t ready then.
Through this pageant, she hopes to introduce Malaysia to the other beauty ambassadors and give them a taste of Malaysian hospitality.
“I’m so excited to meet all the other contestants! I would introduce them to our culture, lifestyle and multifaceted society. Given the chance, I’d love to be their guide in Malaysia and introduce local food to them. After all, food connects people!”
Though it was amazing being crowned Miss Universe Malaysia, one of her happiest moments, Vanessa recalls, was when her parents attended her graduation last year at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.
“I’m very independent and was left to fend on my own when I was abroad. It meant a lot to me to have them there with me,” she explained.
This article originally appeared on The Star Online.