Headline BEAUTY AND BRAINS MediaTitle KL Lifestyle Date 20 Jun 2018 Color Full Color Section NEWS Circulation 80,000 Page No 32,33 Readership 240,000 Language English ArticleSize 993 cm² Journalist N/A AdValue RM 16,888 Frequency Monthly PR Value RM 50,663 BEAUTY AND BRAINS Dhivya Dhyana plays many roles; a doctor nd Miss Universe Malaysia 2016 first runner up. She is also an enthusiastic volunteer. We sit down with this beauty queen and explore hr zest for life (and food). BY HIRANMAY1I AWll MOHANAN Phoio by: Baralhan Amuthan Headline BEAUTY AND BRAINS MediaTitle KL Lifestyle Date 20 Jun 2018 Color Full Color Section NEWS Circulation 80,000 Page No 32,33 Readership 240,000 Language English ArticleSize 993 cm² Journalist N/A AdValue RM 16,888 Frequency Monthly PR Value RM 50,663 Tell us about yourself. How do you juggle between medicine and able to help more children with education, My name is Dhivya Dhyana means divine fulfilling your duties as a public figure? to make sure they have the privilege of meditation in Sanskrit. I was born in This is a question I keep getting asked. knowledge that I was blessed enough to New Zealand and raised in Malaysia. I Being involved in two completely different have. did my schooling in Methodist Primary fields is definitely not easy. It takes a lot of School, and SMK Desa Perdana. Attended mental strength, perseverance, hard work What is your biggest goal in life? college in Help University College and and discipline. The year I participated in My biggest goal in life is to always completed my MBBS degree at the the Miss Universe Malaysia pageant, was stay happy and be a constant source of International Medical University. Growing also my final year in med school. The day inspiration to others. up, I was always wearing many hats. I before the grand finale was my final posting had a passion to learn new things, so I examination. It was definitely one of the How would you define beauty? tried almost everything I had an interest toughest phases of my life. But it was in In my opinion, beauty is beyond physical in. I took up Indian classical singing and those moments that I realised I was able to appearance or temporary glamour. It dance (bharathanatyam) for six years, I achieve anything if I only set my heart, mind is a combination of the ability to be went for swimming lessons, I learnt to play and soul to it. There is absolutely nothing comfortable in your own skin, to be able the piano, I took up Hip-Hop and Latin that one cannot do if you work hard enough to carry yourself with grace, to walk with dance classes later on, went for Art classes, for it. confidence and yet show humility. That's studied a third language formally (Hindi], beauty. etc. For a normal person this would be too You are very active in volunteering. Could much on one's plate. But for some reason, you share with us the programmes you What do you do to stay in shape? I have always enjoyed my time being fully are passionate about? I am a fairly active person. I used to taken up. If I liked something or had an As mentioned previously, I have been regularly practise yoga. Now, I go to interest in it, I HAD to learn it. Just part of involved with the Sathya Sai Interfaith the gym at least twice a week and I hike enriching my soul. Organisation from a very young age. outdoors sometimes. I try to eat clean most Through it, I learnt the value of service to of the time and I avoid fast food and fried What triggered your passion for others. I have been involved in various food. But of course I have my cheat days medicine? activities such as Free Medical Camps so that I don't lose out on the good stuff. I have always had a heart to serve from (national and international), blood donation Cheat days are essential for making sure a very young age. I have been part of an drives, education of human values, drug we don't stress out with a tough regime interfaith organization called Sathya Sai prevention and other social issues. Apart and end up giving up. International Organisation since I was a from that, I am also a council member of kid, where community service plays a huge MMICare Association, a women-run NGO What do you do for fun? role. The passion to serve was also instilled which focuses on the empowerment of To me, having fun is being with friends. I by my mother, who is a past president of women and children. Here, we work closely spend a lot of time with my friends trying the Rotary Club. Being involved in so many with young girls from various backgrounds, out new things, going to new places or charitable programmes, choosing medicine educating them on reproductive health, just chilling out together. Despite my busy as a career just seemed the most natural cyber security, self-esteem, grooming, schedule, I always make time for friends thing for me. There was no other profession positive thinking and substance addiction. and family. I could see myself doing. We run camps throughout the country and we have a peer-mentoring system to Any guilty pleasures? What inspired you to take part in the handhold the girls until they are independent Chocolate. Dessert. Anything sweet. This Miss Malaysia World and Miss Universe and self-reliant. During my time in IMU, is why I make sure I stay active and fit, so Malaysia pageants? I was also part of the community service I can afford to have my guilty pleasures When I was four years old, I met Sushmita programme where we ran free medical once in a while. Sen (Miss Universe 1994) during one of camps at Orang Asli villages. I was also her visit to Malaysia. During that visit, I had one of the very few students to fly to Nepal What are the three local food you can't the privilege of talking to Sushmita who for Medical Relief Aid after the recent live without? told me that one day I would become just earthquake. In my final year of medical Nasi Lemak, Apam Balik and Satay like her. I assumed she was just being nice school, I was selected as the top three to all the children there. But my father who students for the IMU Humanitarian Award. Your favourite places to dine in the remembers the event so vividly had always I was the only student in the entire medical Klang Valley? told me about it, reminding me that I had to programme to have been selected. I play My parents used to have a restaurant give it a shot. He would sit and watch the my part in community service on a personal called McCurry in Jalan Ipoh, so I grew Miss World and Miss Universe grand finals basis as well. Two years ago, I formed a up having good food. Now my mum on TV with me, and he would point ouut group called Stop The Hunger with a group runs a restaurant in OUG called Nice how I should prepare myself for the journey. of friends, where we provided free meals 'N' Spicy at Yarls. That is obviously my I knew I always wanted to join the Miss to the homeless around Kuala Lumpur on most frequent food place. Apart from that, Universe Malaysia pageant. But before I a monthly basis. Recently I have found a friends and I love to go to Devi's Corner was ready for that, I joined the Miss World new passion for educating children who in Bangsar its Banana leaf rice meals. Malaysia contest first. I was placed in cannot afford it. God willing, I have been For vegetarian meals, I usually go to Chat both pageants, which I consider a huge able to assist in the education of a couple Masala in Brickfields. My favourite dessert achievement. of students. In the future, I would want to be place is Dip N Dip in Bangsar. .