Lipstick Ready highlights Miss DFW 2019 for the “Girls with Gloss” Series Season 2.
Written By: Charde Brown
Mayura Kulkarni is Miss DFW United States 2019! She graduated from Texas Tech University in 2017 and currently works as a NICU nurse. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in the pediatric nurse practitioner track at Texas Woman’s University. Her platform in the Miss DFW pageant is on STEM education. She wants to help girls and women become more aware of STEM careers and the STEM field. She has been competing in pageants since 2011 and says she will continue to do them because of her passion for serving and making an impact on the community around her.
Read on to learn how this Girl with Gloss Works to Encourage women and girls around her!
How did you get into your current career field?
I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare but wasn’t sure of what path I wanted to take. When I started volunteering in the hospital I saw that nurses had a more personal connection with their patients and that’s how I decided to go into nursing.
When and how did you know you were on the right path?
I knew I was on the right path when I started working as a nurse aide in the hospital. I realized that I absolutely loved working at the bedside and making personal connections with my patients.
What kind of practices do you have to help you overcome major roadblocks?
I always use to struggle with time management and with all the things that I do I knew I had to find a way to balance my life. I found myself tired and struggling t do well at my job and in graduate school because I could not balance my time. I like to use planners to plan out my days now and this has helped me tremendously to find myself staying on top of all the things I need to accomplish.
What’s your support system like, which people in your life would you say support you the most and why?
I have an incredible family who support me every day. My parents have been a huge support system for me and even now they are giving me the opportunity to live at home so I can save more money while I am in graduate school. My sister and my boyfriend have also been huge support systems for me. When I am overwhelmed or stressed they are the people I go to and talk to things about. I also have a really good group of friends who are always willing to talk and hang out if I need them!
What goals do you have set to accomplish in the next 5 years to advance your life career, otherwise or both?
My biggest goal is to graduate from grad school and become a pediatric nurse practitioner career-wise. I will be graduating in two years and I am very excited about that. Another goal I have is to win Miss Texas. As you know, I am currently Miss DFW and am on my way to competing at Miss Texas. I believe winning this title is going to give me an opportunity to spread more awareness about my platform and to grow as a leader in my community. Finally, my goal in the next five years is to also start up my own business. I have always wanted to own my own business and I hope to be able to do that within the next five years
How did you deal with obstacles on your path to where you are now in your career?
When I was in my second year of college, I was totally lost about which career path I wanted to take. I went into college thinking I wanted to become a doctor but I quickly realized that was not the path for me. I saw myself struggling in some of the science courses I was taking as well and I thought that I could never get a 4.0 in college. When I saw myself dealing with these challenges, I learned to tell myself that success is not going to happen right away and that hard work and dedication will get me success. I took the time to figure out what career I wanted to do and focused on making the best grades I could and eventually I was able to get into nursing school
What has been the most important life lesson you’ve learned up to this point that you think can benefit others?
Don’t compare yourself to others. I would constantly compare myself to my friends and see that they were doing better in classes than me and feel worse about myself. I learned very quickly that this is not going to help me in any way. I learned to focus on myself and my own successes. Sometimes, we will compare ourselves whether it's about physical appearance or career status but doing that will only create more barriers for you to succeed. Instead, focus on yourself and set goals for yourself and you will see that you can achieve whatever you set out to do.
If you could talk to your 14-year-old self what advice would you give yourself?
Don’t feel insecure about the things that make you different. Embrace what makes you unique! As a young girl, I constantly felt insecure about my body and not having the more “curvy” body while other girls did. I felt insecure about my skin color and constantly compared myself to the “fair” girl. Now, I absolutely embrace my body and realize that this is what makes me unique. My skin tone and my body size make me different and that is OKAY!
What does Gorgeous meant to you?
To me, being gorgeous is not about your physical appearance. Being gorgeous is all about the inner personality you are able to shine through yourself. When you have a kind and welcoming personality, you can connect with so many people and make a positive impact on so many people. I’ve learned this through my experiences with doing pageants. Your inner beauty and inner gorgeousness will shine through when you learn to shine the light on others.
What’s an interesting little-known fact about you?
An interesting fact about me is that I have my own Bollywood dance channel on YouTube! My channel even won a “silver creator award” from YouTube.
To keep up with Mayura follow her
IG: @mayurak2795
Youtube: kriti and mayura
Facebook: KritiMayura