Miss Universe Singapore 2018 finalist joins pageant again this year

Miss Mohanaprabha, a Miss Universe Singapore (MUS) 2018 finalist, is giving the beauty pageant another shot.

The 24-year-old biomedical science student at PSB Academy, who cracked the Top 5 last year, has joined MUS again.

She told The New Paper: "I felt I didn't give my 100 per cent last year because I was juggling school and the competition.

"I will be graduating at the end of this year and I wanted to redeem myself and give it a second try."

She was speaking at a press conference last week at rooftop bar and grill destination Vue to unveil the Top 10 finalists. The MUS finals take place on Oct 17.

CONFIDENCE

Miss Mohana, who was also a finalist in The New Paper New Face 2017, said: "I've learnt a lot in terms of increasing my confidence and learning to better present myself.

"I hope to continue my career in the modelling industry and I believe these are skills which will help me in the long run."

Miss Mohana is working on her confidence, which is something she has always struggled with.

She loves the industry and hopes to be able to articulate better during the Q&A segment and maintain her posture during her catwalk.

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Miss Laranya Kumar, 19, and Miss Cheryl Yao, 25, are also from the 2017 New Face batch.

Miss Kumar, who will be going to study medicine at St George's University in Grenada, in the West Indies, in January, said she joined MUS to gain more exposure and confidence because she is "really shy and awkward".

She said: "New Face kick-started my modelling career and my biggest takeaways were discipline and determination.

"I not only learnt how to pose and catwalk, I also had to make sure that I had the discipline to practise when I'm at home."

Miss Yao, who won the subsidiary New Face titles of Subaru Miss Vivacious and TNP Miss Popularity, said joining MUS was a "nice progression" for her.

An advocate for mental health, the full-time actress-host also said: "It is also a great platform for me to showcase what I want to champion - (dealing with) depression and anxiety."

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Another contestant, Miss Annika Xue Sager, 19, whose father is from Hamburg, Germany, and mother is Singaporean Chinese, wants to showcase the changing face of Singapore.

The 2016 New Face finalist, who is interning as a front desk agent, said: "Whenever people notice that I am of mixed heritage, the most common question I get is, 'Which culture do you prefer?' or 'Do you feel more Asian or European?'

"People may think I am half Singaporean and half German, but I am 100 per cent of both cultures.

"Representing Singapore has been a dream of mine since I was a young girl. This will be my moment to show what I, as a true Singaporean, can do for my country."

This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.