We are so proud to again be the official dress sponsor for The Miss Massachusetts and Miss Teen Massachusetts USA pageants. We had the pleasure of interviewing the winners and learning about their day-to-day lifestyle, tips and advice.
Annika Sharma
Annika Sharma is an 18-year old freshman at Boston College planning to major in Finance with a minor in Marketing. She hopes to one day become the CEO of her own company in the fashion industry. As one of the 2019 Governors STEM scholars, selected to network with STEM professionals and research organizations across the country, Annika hopes to empower young women to go into business and underrepresented STEM fields. Annika also studied cardiovascular disease among teens at the Steinhardt School of Nutrition. This experience allowed her to work with a professor in the department and presented her paper entitled, Adherence to a Mediterranean-Style diet in Urban and Rural Obese and Overweight College Students at the Diversity Summer Student Research Conference in New York City. She used this research to publish her own online cookbook called The Healthy Teen, hoping to empower young teens to develop a healthier lifestyle. Being the first Indian-American Miss Massachusetts Teen USA, Annika celebrates diversity and strong female representation as a titleholder. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, film and photography, running, and exploring Boston with her friends! Learn more about Annika in our interview with her below!
What tips can you share with teen girls who are shopping for their first prom dress?
Shopping for your first prom dress is one of the most exciting parts about being a teen! Soak in this moment. When choosing a gown, dont go for what you think everyone expects you to wear. Exploring different styles that you like and going with your gut is the way to go when choosing your dream dress!
Do you get nervous when you are competing how do you manage your stress?
Just like many other contestants, I get nervous when competing in certain parts of competition. To manage my stress, I like to take deep breaths before going on stage. Even talking to the other girls backstage and making new friends really allowed me to manage the stress that comes with competing.
What 5 things can you tell teenage girls who may have an eating disorder or simply just eat a poor diet?
When I was a freshman in high school, I suffered from anorexia, and it was a very difficult time for me. Yet, I was able to develop a much healthier mindset when it came to food. The first piece of advice that I have is to cut down the amount of social media accounts that are not body positive. Social media can be an amazing platform, but surrounding yourself with negative energy will only fuel a poor diet. The second piece of advice I have is to throw away the scale! Just because your weight may be going up doesnt mean you are eating unhealthy foods. Third, do some research on healthy snacks that you can have that fill you up? When I was 15, I wrote a healthy-eating cookbook, and some of my favorite recipes for snacks were oatmeal banana cookies and peanut butter and apples. Fourth, develop a hobby that lets you stay active but keep eating along with it: even if its just dancing around in your room, staying active is so important to a healthy diet! Finally, surround yourself with friends and family members that will support you through your health and fitness journey.
At the Ultimate, we have partnered with Boston vs. Bullies and are very aware that many teenage girls are subject to bullying. As a public figure, how do you deal with negativity?
As a public figure, it can be difficult to deal with negativity. I have always told myself that my worth is not dependent on the negative words of others, so its always important to do things for you rather than for others!
Sabrina Victor
Sabrina Victor is a performance activist, passionate about sharing diverse stories through all art forms. A 23-year-old hailing from Brockton Massachusetts, Sabrina graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst receiving two undergraduate degrees in Theater and Journalism, a Multicultural Theater Certificate, and Commonwealth Honors. She currently works in higher education as a Recruitment Assistant at Bridgewater State University, where she facilitates all part-time hiring for the institution. After hours, she works as a professional actress in the Boston area with local and regional theaters. Sabrina plans to spend the year working with schools across the state and organizations that want to empower their youth. As an advocate for the arts, especially amongst marginalized groups with a lack of access to arts education, she plans to encourage others to change the narratives of today through methods of performance that allow them to share their truths. As a Haitian-American, Sabrina believes in the importance of inclusivity and diversity in all aspects of life, and wants to continue inspiring young girls and boys to chase their dreams. Read Sabrinas interview below.
How did you develop your fashion style?
My style developed through inspiration from my older cousin. She was a true 2000s fashionista! She was also a local model, and would always pass down her clothes and makeup to me. Now my style has grown to uniquely represent me - fun, colorful, street, sometimes edgy. Im a rainbow of fashion!
How do you stay fit?
To stay fit, I make sure I follow a consistent routine. I try to get in the gym at least 4 times a week, and with Miss USA coming up I will ramp that up to 5/6 times! I enjoy getting in cardio through running and dancing (Zumba is a blast). And then dont forget strength and weight training, my favorite! For diet, I love to eat healthy greens and lean proteins like chicken and fish, but I cant ever stay away too long from Haitian food! And I remember that its okay to reward yourself with tasty treats.
How do you manage your emotions when competing?
Fear is inevitable - we are going to feel it and have to learn how to embrace the emotion and allow it to push us forward. Before I compete for anything in life, I tell myself positive affirmations to remind myself just how capable I am. You are beautiful, you are worthy, you are intelligent. So the damn thing girl! I do a power pose in the mirror to physically prepare myself to PUSH past my fear. I do deep breathing exercises to calm my spirit. And then I pray.
Why did you enter the Miss Ma USA pageant?
I entered the Miss MA USA pageant because this is truly a job and Im ready to get to work! I believe in the values this organization stands for - embracing your beauty and the things that make you different, living confidently and authentically, and using your voice to empower others. Im ready to encourage those who go unheard - marginalized groups like POCs, LGBTQIA-identifying friends, low-income youth - to use their voices to change the narratives of today to reflect THEIR truths. #SpeakYourTruth
Sabrina and Annika traveled to the Sherri Hill offices in Austin, Texas to pick out their gorgeous gowns for the national competition. Of course no matter how much we want to give you a sneak peak of their dresses, we cant. That being said, let me just tell you that our girls look totally amazing!
Come to our Peabody store to view our selection of pageant dresses. We house top designers like Sherri Hill, Jovani, Ashley Lauren and many more! With a wide range of silhouettes and styles including sheath, ball gown, fit and flare, and gorgeous mermaid pageant dresses - Our expert sales team will help you find the dress that showcases your unique personality and makes you feel more beautiful than ever. We hope to see you soon!