USP journalism student wins Nadi pageant

Miss Sharma Music Centre, Kirisitiana Uluwai (middle), after being crowned Miss Nadi Bula Festival 2018 at Prince Charles Park in Nadi last week. Picture: FIJI SUN/ARIETA VAKASUKAWAQA

By EPARAMA WARUA

Aspiring journalist Kirisitiana Uluwai was crowned the 58^th Miss Nadi Bula 2018 queen last Saturday at Prince Charles Park in Nadi.

The 23-year-old journalism and politics student at The University of the South Pacific joined the week-long festival and focused her attention on charity side of the pageant.

“It’s not about me. It’s not about what I know or who I know, or what I can do. It’s about the people,” she said.

Uluwai is originally from Taveuni and has maternal links to Wailevu in Savusavu. She was sponsored by Sharma Music Center at the Nadi Bula Festival 2018. Last year, she was placed runner-up in the Savusavu pageant.

“If you know that your message needs to be heard the way you planned it to be heard, then no platform is too big and no platform is too small for you,” Uluwai said.

Uluwai also won best research topic with her focus on “Climate Justice: The Other Side of The Coin”.

“For so long we have focused on what we have lost, and what we are losing because of climate change. These perspectives drain our energy and affect our way of approaching the issue. My research topic focuses on what we have gained, what we are gaining and what we will gain from this issue, being optimistic with positive vibe. You’ve got to grow as a person, as a community and as a nation,” she said.

Uluwai said she was humbled to be part of the festival, adding the winning the crown was a bonus.

“It’s really humbling to know that a small girl like me who grew up on the island, and had, in the eyes of society, no chance at all competing on this platform, can succeed.”

He message to young girls is to “believe in yourselves. You are beautiful just the way you are”.

“Don’t measure yourself according to someone else’s strength because you won’t find your own strength. Instead of trying to compete with the next girl, try to complement the next girl and strive not to be a girl of success, but a girl of value,” Uluwai said.

She will represent Nadi at the Miss Fiji Pageant in October. The winner of Miss Fiji will represent the country at the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2018 in Tonga.

Kirisitiana Uluwai was crowned Miss Nadi Bula 2018 queen last week. Picture: MINFO

* Eparama Warua is a second-year journalism student at The University of the South Pacific in Suva.