Exclusive Interview with Shannon Gonsalves, The Tiara Queen by TGPC for August 2017
Shannon Gonsalves was the winner of The Tiara Queen by TGPC for the month of August 2017. She battled out 13 other contestants to claim the title. Shannon is an engineering student and currently she is one of the 15 finalists of Miss Diva 2017 and is in the running for a chance to represent India at Miss Universe/Miss Supranational. Right after her win, we got a chance to interview Shannon on a candid level and got to know her in bit more depth. Check her out in the following interview.
TGPC: Hi Shannon, please tell us something about yourself.
Shannon: Hi everyone, I’m Shannon Gonsalves from the city where dreams come true, Mumbai. I’m currently pursuing my Bachelors in Electronic Engineering, and enjoying every bit of it. Apart from this, I enjoy sports, and have been a state level throwball player and a national level archer and athlete. I’m extremely passionate about giving back to the community, and have been working on sustainable development goals laid out by the UNO with an NGO for the past year, which gave me the opportunity to travel to Istanbul to teach English and culture.
I love to constantly challenge myself creatively, and am fond of various forms of art, with a love for painting and dance. Travelling is something I am extremely enthusiastic about, and it is my dream to travel the world and tell my story to everyone, and with this, I hope to be able to make a difference to lives of those I come across.
TGPC: How does it feel winning the title of ‘The Tiara Queen’ by TGPC in your 3rd attempt?
Shannon: I was thrilled when I heard my name being called out as the Tiara Queen, cause it was that moment when I knew that all my hard work had finally paid off. I worked on grooming and improving myself, and now these values have become an inherent part of me. To sum it up, yes, it feels amazing to have won the title.
TGPC: You have competed in Mock Pageants before at The Tiara and later ‘The Tiara Queen by TGPC’ how do you think it makes any difference with the change in title name?
Shannon: When I first arrived at Tiara two years ago for a week of training, it was a completely different ball game. Mock pageants today are extremely different from what they used to be back in the day, in the sense that talent is increasing and the competition is only getting tougher. While initially, the mock pageants would be held internally with Tiara girls competing against one another, it has turned into an open mock pageant where anyone can participate, which allows us to have a better idea of the talent and skills out there.
TGPC: You won best in evening gown subtitle, can you tell us more about your evening gown and where did you get it from?
Shannon: Most of my outfits, including the evening gown that won me the title, are from Busy Bee by Sanjana Ghosh. This boutique has everything a girl needs to look her best at all times. The gown I wore was handpicked by Sanjana herself; she helped me style it and made sure I was comfortable wearing it which I think is extremely imperative. One must really look and feel comfortable in her own shoes so that the rest of the show is comfortably effortless
TGPC: What is one thing you learnt at The Tiara that you’ll never forget in life?
Shannon: Something I always stand by and proudly tell people who’ve known me for a long time is that Tiara grooms one for life. Tiara aims to go just beyond pageant training, and leaves you with life lessons to be cherished. I’ve also learnt to be extremely positive about whatever happens and comes my way, and never to hold a grudge against anyone or let them affect you in a negative way. [Also Read: 7 Reasons why every girl should join The Tiara Institute]
TGPC: What do you have to say about your mentor Ritika Ramtri, who has often been slated as India’s No.1 Pageant Trainer?
Shannon: Ritika Ramtri is a god sent angel, having the ability to touch and transform lives of 1000 of girls and helping them fulfil their dream is such a tough and risky job but she does it with so much ease and put in way more than she can. The amount of hardwork she put in each and every girl and shapes them individually. I believe this is why all the tiara girls blindly trust her. Madam is a positive person throughout and inspires us to be positive as well.
I could write a book about this but I’ll stick to a word limit for now.
TGPC: What are your pageant aspirations in coming years?
Shannon: My aim in life is to become a better version of myself, and pageants are only helping me mold and shape myself to become a beautiful person from the inside as well. Although this journey of mine has mostly been unplanned, I prefer it this way as it allows me to learn and impart a lot more. I’d like to continue my career in the modelling industry in the near future and probably transition into VJing in due course. Of course, my ultimate dream is to host my own travel show. Like I always maintain – I didn’t come this far to come this far.
TGPC: What is one weird thing that not many people know about you?
Shannon: Haha! I don’t think it’ll be fair to pinpoint just one quirk about me, especially given that I am a rather quirky person. What I do find interesting, however, is that people who meet me for the first time tend to assume that I am an extremely serious and haughty person. Once you get to know me personally though, you’d realise that I’m nothing like that!
TGPC: If there is one event in history that you could change, what would it be and why?
Shannon: History is a compilation of a number of butterfly effects snowballing to create the present that we live in today. Changing the course of even one minute item in history could entirely change the world today. I personally believe that there is no need to meddle with time and history, as there is so much we have learnt, and our future generations are yet to learn. But since I have to answer this question…maybe the sandwich that I bought off the streets a couple of days back? I could have done without that upset stomach!
TGPC: How was the experience of going LIVE on TGPC FB page?
Shannon: Firstly, I’d like to thank TGPC for giving me the opportunity to share my experience and connect with fellow pageant enthusiasts. It was an absolute delight to be able to connect with everyone. You are also free to follow me on my personal Instagram handle at @shannonshannon_. Finally, thank you so much for believing in me, supporting me, and showering me with all your love. I’m extremely humbled and honoured by the same.
TGPC: Any message for the readers of TGPC?
Shannon: It is important to be fearless and believe in yourself. If you set your mind to something, nothing is impossible. Keep loving yourself and continue to have confidence in yourself, and you can achieve whatever you set your sight on.