South Asian Beauty Heads to Vegas to Win Miss USA Title

South Asian American beauty Paromita Mitra (21), presently Miss Mississippi USA, originally from Bangladesh, daughter of Dr. Amal and Ratna Mitra, is headed to Las Vegas to participate in the 2013 Miss USA Pageant. Paromita grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and is currently a senior at Mississippi State University studying Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. She credits her interest in space and engineering to her brother and her determination and hard work to her very close-knit family. As a first generation immigrant from the country of Bangladesh, she has learned to grasp every opportunity thrown her way. “I truly feel it is a way to thank the USA for allowing me and my family to be citizens of this amazing country full of opportunities,” says Paromita.

Along with preparing for the very competitive Miss USA, Paromita enjoys different cultures and traveling. She can speak four different languages, has once flown a plane, and also traveled the country of Italy on a study abroad program. In her spare time she enjoys baking cakes, astronomy, and canoe trips. In the future, she plans to attain a pilot license. Upon graduation, she plans to work for an esteemed space company. Along with her educational goals she plans to pursue a career in TV or acting as well.

Going along with her love of traveling, Paromita visited overseas to her place of birth where she had the opportunity to teach cleft palette/lip patients about post-surgery precautions. She claims it was humbling to see how grateful the poverty stricken children were of her services. This experience sparked her interest in the Operation Smile organization as she plans to work with the charity in the future.

Ms Mitra is also an advocate for higher education and NASA’s S.T.E.M. platform: influencing science, technology, engineering, and math topics in the youth. As the educational outreach co-director of The Space Cowboys, Paromita and her rocket team received 1st place in the nation from AIAA for their work with education. She has traveled to schools all over Mississippi speaking about rocketry and space topics while implementing hands-on activities to promote science. Her most current project allows her to travel to The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado to teach a Girl Scout troop about the importance of physics. She will also be honored as a distinguished guest at the “Audience for an Astronaut” event where she will speak with 900+ kids about the importance of higher education.

Lights Camera Action host Ruchi Mukherjee caught up with this beauty queen at Uptown Park in Houston over a French brunch to learn more about her plans. Watch the interview.

TV Asia and the Lights Camera Action team wishes her all the best on behalf of all South Asian American’s to make us all proud!