Dietetics senior Antara “Richa” Gangopadhyay won Miss India USA and is traveling in February to South Africa to compete for Miss India Worldwide. She was voted Miss Congeniality by fellow pageant contestants in her last competition.
Antara “Richa” Gangopadhyay is using her crown as a way to bring back a tutoring program she started for youth in Lansing years ago.
Gangopadhyay, a dietetics and nutritional sciences senior, was named Miss India USA on Dec. 28 in Fords, N.J. She started a youth tutoring program when she was in seventh grade.
“With this title I hope to start it up again,” she said.
Gangopadhyay and 20 of her friends created Future Links, which provided tutoring for at-risk children in urban school districts throughout Lansing. As part of the tutoring, she’ll put her degree to use by raising awareness about diet and nutrition at various elementary schools.
“I have to really focus on the responsibilities of this role now and juggle that with school and work,” she said.
Gangopadhyay’s responsibilities don’t end with the city of Lansing. She’ll travel to South Africa on Feb. 23 to represent the United States at the Miss India Worldwide Pageant.
“I’m not really nervous,” Gangopadhyay said. “One of the main things the judges liked about me (in the Miss India USA pageant) was that I was so natural, confident and relaxed.”
Miss India Worldwide Pageant founder and chairman Dharmatma Saran has high hopes for Gangopadhyay.
“Richa has a good chance. She will do great I’m sure,” Saran said.
Gangopadhyay attributed her relaxed attitude at the Miss India USA pageant to her extensive pageant background. She placed among the top 10 in 2004 and the top five in 2006.
“I’ve come a long way,” Gangopadhyay said. “The last time I participated, I won Miss Congeniality, which is chosen by the other contestants. It makes you feel like you’re the true winner.”
Gangopadhyay wasn’t the first member of her family to win a national pageant title. Her parents, Utpal and Paula Gangopadhyay, received the “Made for Each Other” title in 1997 at a pageant showcasing 300 contestants in New York City.
“To win anything in life is special and takes a lot of guts and determination,” Paula Gangopadhyay said.
In addition to being recognized around campus, Gangopadhyay has been featured in the media all over the world.
“It is such an honor to be recognized internationally,” she said. “I’ve been featured on front pages of all these Indian newspapers. I ‘Googled’ myself (after the pageant) and overnight I had 10 pages of articles.”
With her trip to South Africa looming, Gangopadhyay said her last semester at MSU is going to include a lot more than the usual workload and social life.
“I think my new responsibilities will affect my life in a positive way,” Gangopadhyay said. “Once you get this boost of confidence you want everything to flow in a positive direction.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
