Meet Ritu Jain

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ritu Jain.

Ritu, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up in Delhi, I was the only daughter in my family and maybe that is why my parents were always protective of me. I convinced them to send me out of town to study. This was a chance for me to find my identity. Apart from completing my major, I took every extracurricular classes I could. Theatre always had a special place in my heart.
After my studies, I found my life partner and moved to US on a dependent visa. It took me a while to adjust to the accent and once I did, I started looking for opportunities to put it to work. However, reality set in. I was not eligible to work, I could not drive and I missed my old friends. My husband traveled every week, which only made this worse. I was having second thoughts about my decision to come to states. I did not know where I fit in this country.

Soon after, my husband was called to train with the U.S Army. This was unexpected but it was his dream. I was left by myself for the next six months. I saw this as an opportunity to find my place here. I started working for an NGO for underprivileged children. It was extremely rewarding. During one of my visits, someone walked up to me and shared an opportunity to be a model in a beauty pageant. Something clicked. I had never modeled before but all the times I had dreamt of being in front of a camera came roaring back. I had a purpose. During the next few months, I had my share of struggles and finally, I won. I was crowned Mrs. India Georgia 2018. After winning the crown, I got an opportunity to work on multiple projects. Most importantly, I build an identity for myself and motivation to make this my new home.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was never a smooth road we all have our own share of struggles. A week after I enrolled for the pageant, I got a notice from the immigration department asking me to leave the country. After filing multiple petitions in India, I was able to fly back. Once back, I realized how behind I was for the pageant and was having second thoughts. I created my portfolio a day before the deadline and worked on understanding all aspects of a pageant. I pushed my fears aside and gave it my all. It was exhausting! The win was bittersweet as my husband was still away and family back in India.

What qualities do you think contributed to your success?
I feel never giving up and believing in myself are the qualities which contributed to my success.

Image Credit:
Image Credits: John Hendricks, Venkat Kuttua Photography, Golden Pixels

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