Natesan’s philosophy incorporated a quote by Sir Winston Churchill, affirming, “Success is not final, and failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” What counts to her, she opined, is the extent to which one chooses to persist. Kavya Natesan is a sophomore majoring in biology with a biomedical deliberation and a pre-medical emphasis, and minoring in chemistry and philosophy.
Natesan also won ‘Miss Interview’ during the pageant, expressing a reaction as to why the actions of a police officer flipping a student out of a desk were unwarranted and unjust. Wilma Foster, an audience member, expressed, Kavya thoroughly took pleasure in her stage presence and many had Natesan as their choice to win. “Her interview was awesome,” Foster opined. “I loved how she wore her bathing suit … She was feeling good about it in her own skin. That to me, it took strength.”
When the coronation announcement commenced, Kavya stood with anxious eyes and a humbled smile as she and fellow contestant held hands on the stage. Ultimately, the host screamed Natesan’s name as the winner of the 2015 Miss Black and Gold pageant. After her crowning, Kavya revealed with her teary eyed: “I was not anticipating it. I thought I could have done better in some of the aspects, so I thought I wasn’t going to get it.” After she was titled as the winner, Kavya expressed: “I was elated, I was ecstatic. I was looking for my mom and she was crying. I was looking for Joseph and he was crying … everyone was crying. It was a great moment.”
The newly crowned Miss Black and Gold also said, she was pleased to represent the Delta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha at the district level against the University of Kansas and Kansas State. She believes: “My education empowers me, my family themselves empower me … and the opportunities presented to me through Miss Black and Gold are what empower me, as well.”
Expressing gratitude towards the encouraging audience, Kavya opined: “The crowd was exceptional, they were encouraging, and I think it was that sense of community and bonding that made the pageant what it was.”