Kohima: The beauty pageant has given me a new identity, said Jessica Snock AK from Nagaland who was crowned Mrs United Nations 2019 recently.
The coronation ceremony of the event took place at Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar where she also won the Mrs Photogenic United Nations subtitle.
The 31-year old beauty queen, hailing from Reguri village in Nagaland’s Phek district, expressed her contentment in an exclusive interview with EastMojo, and said that this achievement came really unexpectedly to her.
“I don’t know how I should express but I feel great. It is a big achievement for me because it has given me a name,” she said.
Jessica is married to a Manipuri Indian Army doctor and she is a mother to a six-year-old son. Recounting her husband’s support, she shared, “My husband is everything! He is very supportive and he never stopped me from pursuing my dreams. He knew I needed an identity.”
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While saying that women are often treated as “secondary” and considered as “outsiders”, when one marries a man outside her tribe or state, she revealed that in this regard, her husband never stopped her in representing her state. “Had he wanted, he would have asked me to represent Manipur and not Nagaland. But he was always there to support me and my decisions. I always wanted to represent Nagaland, I have Naga blood, but without him, I wouldn’t be here,” she added.
As she gears up to handle the responsibilities of the new title, she boldly stated that she is indeed ready for responsibilities as she participated in this pageant knowing the responsibilities that would be put upon her if she nailed it. She then expressed how the pageant provided equal opportunity for both men and women, irrespective of the background, towards creating a positive impact in the lives of people.
Jessica revealed that she was introduced to the pageant through fellow women who were already contributing their services to society through the platform, which inspired her.
“I think beauty is not about the outer look,” she said when asked her opinion on beauty standards. “It comes from the heart,” she said, adding that it also counts when one creates positivity around people.
“Nothing comes easy. It is actually very tough,” she added as she shared about how she had to balance her pageantry and her personal life. “But it God’s calling and he gives me the strength to balance well,” she said as she acknowledged how the pageantry has groomed her to handle responsibilities. She also exclaimed how her six-year-old child encourages her to win titles.
Talking about how she began social services, Jessica humbly said, “I didn’t realise I was doing charity since it came out of my heart.” She narrated how she would pack the Army rations that were provided to them into small pouches and distribute them to the needy and homeless when her family was posted in Rajasthan. “That’s how I started and I feel so good doing it,” she said.
While she engages in charity events like hospital visits, old age home visits, plantation drives, and many more, Jessica emotionally expressed that visiting orphanages gives her “full satisfaction” as she “relates “with them. “I lost my parents at a young age and spending time with the orphans makes me feel that I am being myself,” she said.
Jessica further went on to say she doesn’t know how to give back to society, especially to the needy and as she has already started it, she feels that these are things are the ones she should be doing as there is a purpose behind it. “Maybe God made me for a purpose since I have seen the hardships from my childhood. I may not be able to change the world but I would like to change the few lives that I can,” she said.
Speaking about her upcoming plans, Jessica expressed that although she was offered to compete in bigger platforms, she is contented with what she has achieved. “This platform is enough for me to do what I want to. I wish to use this platform meaningfully and fulfill all responsibilities purposefully through this platform,” she added.
Giving out a message to the Naga women she stated, “We as Naga women should be positive and must step out of the box that pageants are only for the young and beautiful. We have to realise how worthy we are. We are unique people and blessed”.
In addition to it, Jessica also stated, “We are scared to lose, we have a feeling that winning is everything, but we should be ready to balance losing and winning something”. She also expressed that unless one tries, one will not be able to realise one’s worth.
Jessica, who is residing in Siliguri for the past four months after her husband’s transfer, is currently stationed in Delhi for a magazine launch. She will also be traveling to South Africa, Russia and Jamaica for a social cause.
At the beauty pageant, Mrs Kurdistan was adjudged as the first runner up, flanked by Mrs Australia who bagged the second runner up title.
Earlier this year, Jessica was adjudged as the first runner up of ‘Mrs India Earth 2018’ besides winning the ‘Mrs Popular and Face of Northeast’ subtitles.
