Winning a pageant takes more than surface-level beauty, and the newly crowned winner of Miss Universe Singapore (MUS) 2021 is testament to that. SMU student Nandita Banna backs up her victory with strong education credentials, high career ambitions and a deep sense of social justice. She juggled preparing for MUS with school and an internship with a data analytics firm. Her efforts culminated in her crowning moment on Sept 17. Nandita, who hopes to have a career in a field that combines data analytics and urban planning, said she felt honoured to be bestowed the MUS title. Ensuring racist incidents are highlighted and organising community events to bring people of different backgrounds together are some of the ways she hopes to use her title to further the cause of racial harmony in Singapore. For now, she is gearing up to represent Singapore at the 70th Miss Universe competition in Eilat, Israel, in December.