On Feb. 7, 16 young women competed for the title of Miss Denver, Miss Front Range, Miss Denver’s Teen and Miss Front Range’s Teen at the Elaine Wolf Theatre on S. Dahlia Street in Denver. This year, the Miss Colorado and Miss Denver Organizations were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Miss Denver Pageant; the winner of the Miss Denver title wins a once-in-a-lifetime golden crown.
The 100th anniversary Miss Denver is a University of Denver (DU) doctoral student studying psychology, Asha Bhattacharya. Bhattacharya got her start in pageantry through a friend who encouraged the idea. She was initially hesitant as she categorized herself as a nerd and believed that pageants were not for her. Despite this, Bhattacharya ended up attending an orientation and fell in love with the Miss America Organization.
“I was really surprised to learn that the Miss America system is the biggest scholarship organization for women,” she said, “At the time, I was a junior in high school and so, I wanted money to go to college and kick start my financial journey towards independence.”
Being a part of this organization allowed Bhattacharya to explore how to earn scholarship money beyond writing essays. Through Miss America, she has earned funding for school through promoting causes she’s passionate about by being on stage.
Bhattacharya, originally from California, moved to Colorado for her doctoral program. Miss Denver allowed her to get back into pageantry in her new home. She chose DU as she wanted to attend one of the best doctoral programs for clinical psychology. She also loves Denver for its open-minded community, and its easy access to nature and the weather.
“I just really thought all of that together made Denver the perfect choice,” she explained.
To be a member of the Miss America Organization, each delegate is required to have a community service initiative. Bhattacharya’s initiative, Building Resilient Minds, aims to reduce the stigma around mental health and encourage others to reach out for help. When she was 15, Bhattacharya had a debilitating experience with anxiety.
“I told myself all of this will be worth it if one day I can help someone have a better experience than I’m having,” she said.
She works as a research assistant on campus with We Read where she works with young children and their caregivers. They are provided with early literacy interventions and Bhattacharya studies how these interventions impact their overall literacy, emotional and language development and how it builds their mental strength.
Bhattacharya is Indian-American and the daughter of immigrants. Her identity and how it relates to pageantry are the reasons behind why she chose a comedic monologue about growing up with her family as her talent. As a delegate, Bhattacharya wanted to be as authentic as possible.
“I didn’t think that as a woman of color, I initially belonged in this space. I told myself if I were to compete in pageantry, I wanted to be authentic to who I am,” said Bhattacharya.
She states that her mother, an economist, holding a PHD and her sister, a doctor who studied at Harvard, had an impact on how she values education and career stability. It’s also why she appreciates Miss America, as it supports and honors women pursuing higher education.
Bhattacharya has two and a half years left in her doctorate program. She plans to pursue an internship, begin her post-doctorate and finally sit for her licensing exam before becoming a psychologist.
To follow Bhattacharya’s term as Miss Denver, follow her on Instagram. If you’re interested in competing in Miss Colorado, register before April 11.
