Second Indian-American girl features in key US pageant

Sapna Raghavan has become the second Indian-American, after 2014 Miss America winner Nina Davuluri, to feature in "Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant", the media reported.

A Connecticut resident, Raghavan, 17, who was crowned "Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen 2015" in June this year, is now considering participating in the prestigious Miss America pageant, INDIA New England News newspaper reported on Thursday.

Winning the Miss Connecticut pageant gave her the opportunity to contest in "Outstanding Teen 2015" -- a pageant open to teenagers aged between 13 and 17.

She, however, did not win the competition but was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for participating in a Bollywood-themed dance.

Raghavan is now eligible to contest in the Miss America pageant -- a beauty competition that is open to the 18-25 age group.

"It is an option but right now I am focusing on my Bharatnatyam dance and applying to colleges," she was quoted as saying.

A student at the Ellington High School in Connecticut, Raghavan serves as an ambassador to an international non-profit organisation Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

She wants to work in the United Nations and continue to shape her career in Bharatnatyam.

She is also member of the "Developing Positive Youth Culture" group in Ellington, which strives for the well-being of the youth in the community.

Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen is an event of Miss Connecticut Scholarship Corporation for state-wide awareness of the Miss America and Miss America's Outstanding Teen programmes.

Miss America pageant is a sister competition of Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant.