Woman of The Month : Nadine Ann Thomas

"It never ever occurred to me that I would be able to model or I would be slim enough or my skin would be clear enough to be able to do it."

She's tall, she's stunning, she rocks those killer heels like no other! Standing at 173cm tall, Nadine Ann Thomas has captured many hearts by grabbing the crown for Miss Universe Malaysia in May last year (2010).

"...if you surround yourself with the same people, you can't really go wrong, it'll keep you grounded."

This former student of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (Cyberjaya) was blissfully raised in a mix-racial family, a lucky daughter to an Indian father and a Chinese mother (bless the parents for giving birth to such a beautiful woman!).

"Growing up for me, I have a lot of insecurities..."

Though Nadine admitted she felt alienated by her schoolmates during her teen years (because of her skin problems and having a mix-racial ethnicity), Nadine's determined and positive attitude has helped her break the insecurities away and be at where she is now.

WoM: How’s life treating you after being crowned as Miss Universe Malaysia 2010?

Nadine: Life's been good. You know, I think I've been given a lot of extra opportunities, I've been given a platform to decide on what I want to do in the future. In terms of how things have changed, I'd say that things are pretty much the same, my family's the same, and my friends are the same. I think that this concept of fame...some people take it too far, so if you surround yourself with the same people, you can't really go wrong, it'll keep you grounded.

WoM: We women tend to be insecure even for the smallest things, have you ever encountered with this situation when you were competing in the pageant?

Nadine: I think when you put 84 women together from 84 countries, equally as beautiful, equally as talented, equally as smart, it's human nature for insecurities to come out. But you know, of course, to some people, when it comes to insecurities, some people can deal with it, and then some people take it negatively. So you just got to find your balance. Growing up for me, I have a lot of insecurities. I went through a very awkward phase growing up, I had a very bad acne problem, I had a lot of skin problems, and I'm a mix of half Chinese and half Indian, I look more Indian, but I was raised more Chinese. So I would say that growing up, there were a lot of insecurities because I was discriminated when I was young. But I have a very loving family, when your parents don't see the concept of skin color, we were never taught to discriminate. So you just kind of pull through, you just deal with it, you know, I was bullied in school, kids would tease me in school, but I would say that it did me a lot of good. Now it has kept me very grounded.

WoM: What is it about modelling that excites you?

Nadine: I would say that my first time modelling was with Limkokwing (KL Fashion Week), I was probably around 19 or 20, and like I said I had a very bad skin growing up, I was a bit bigger and I had braces, so I never thought that I would do this. It never ever occurred to me that I would be able to model or I would be slim enough or my skin would be clear enough to be able to do it. So when I was given the opportunity at Limkokwing, I would say that it was thrilling. It's short, you go out at about 20 seconds and then you go back in. So I guess it's a little bit of a thrill and at the same time it is a personal achievement to me because I never thought I would actually do it.

WoM: Is it important, for women precisely, to have a good education background no matter what path they decide to embark on (be it modelling, acting, etc..)?

Nadine: Education has always been important, but there's always the argument between formal education and being street smart. I would say that education is very important because it gives you that platform, the maturity to think out of the box, but I think it is not always necessary because there are a lot of people in the world that have become very successful, men or women, that have not been highly educated. Sometimes it takes more than just the education, it takes the creativity, it takes the courage, it takes the willpower to actually make you go and do something.

WoM: In your opinion, what makes a woman beautiful?

Nadine: You know, a lot of people say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think beauty just comes from everything that you just can't pinpoint, there's physical beauty, inner beauty, but everything has to kind of mould together. It's the whole package, the heart is just as important as the way you look. In terms of looks, anyone can be groomed, you can change your appearance, I think when it comes to the person that you are, that takes a little bit more searching.

WoM: Lastly, is there any personal message or advice that you would like to share with all the young women out there in Malaysia?

Nadine: It's very simple, my mother brought me up with the concept to never depend on anyone, and to always find your ground. Work harder at what you do, don't be afraid of stigma, don't be afraid of discrimination, and as long as you know that what you are doing is right, when you have the passion for it, then go ahead and do it.