Natasha Smith is all set to compete in the national pageant of Miss Universe Canada 2019, the official preliminary to Miss Universe 2019. Born and raised in the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Natasha is currently a student at Simon Fraser University completing her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with the goal of becoming a neurosurgeon.

The gorgeous beauty is dedicated to her studies and was honored by receiving a University Major Entrance Scholarship, the “Dean’s Academic Excellence in Science”. When she is not studying or working, she enjoys being involved in her community. One of the organizations that she holds close to her heart is a program called Sole Girls, which she has been volunteering for the past 6 years.

Since Natasha was young, she had a passion for the arts and has danced competitively in various genres. She also enjoyed sports and at the age of fourteen, she received her black belt in karate. In her free time she enjoys living an active lifestyle by working out at the gym. She loves spending time outdoors; hiking, camping and target shooting. She is an animal lover, an avid reader and enjoys travelling.

As she prepares for her national stint, she talks about her dreams, ambitions, advocacy, guilty pleasures and more in an exclusive interview with Angelopedia –

Q. How does it feel to be a delegate of Miss Universe Canada 2019?

To be a delegate for Miss Universe Canada 2019 is not only an honourbut also an immense privilege as it gives me the opportunity to have a voice and advocate for humanity. Being a delegate also challenges meboth physically and mentally in becoming and being the best version of myself.It builds self-confidence and enrichesleadership and communication skills. I enjoy seeing how far I can push my limits, I’ve always believed that if you are passionate, dedicate and committed you can achieve just about anything.I hope to make a positive impact by inspiring and empowering others to believe in themselves and to pursue their dreams. Being a national delegate for Miss Universe Canada will also allowme the opportunity to be one step closer to representing Canada on the Miss Universe stage, which has always been along time dream of mine.

Q.What inspired you to the world of pageantry?

Believe it or not it was my mom who introduced me to the world of pageantry when I was 14 years old. She came home one day from work and asked if I would like to compete in a local pageant. Ever since that day I found a new love in pageantry. What I loved most was the comradery amongst the pageant girls. Even though it was a competition, we also were there to support each other.It has been amazing to see how a lot of girls developed and branched out of their comfort zone and grew more confident every time they stepped on stage. Many of the friendships I have developed since competing in pageants will be forever lifelong friends, AKA – my pageant sisters.

Q.How would you like to represent yourself at Miss Universe Canada 2019 pageant?

I would like to represent myself at Miss Universe Canada 2019 as a role model where I can inspire others and bethe best version of themselves.I am very dedicated and determined and I will always strive to push myself both physically and mentally in achieving my goals.When I step onto the Miss Universe Canada stage I want to know that I did everything possible to represent myself and be proud of all my accomplishments.I also just want to be raw andmyself.I want to show that I am proud of the woman I am today. My goal is to convince not only the judges but alsotoall individuals that the best version of yourself is to just be you. As the saying goes,an original is better than a copy.

Q.This is your second try at winning the national competition. Do you think your previous experience will help you give an edge this year?

At the end of the day I believe everything happens for a reason and the woman who wins is meant to win. Being that this is my second time competing it does allow me to anticipate what is expected during the week and being able to plan accordingly. That being said, the competition in this pageant has grown immensely over the years and each year the bar is raised. Every woman that steps on that stage deserves to be there for the sacrifices and commitment they have dedicated to this pageant and I am honoured to be competing along side of them. I will be using all the tools and resources I have developed since my first pageant. I am coming back stronger, more determined, and overall more ready to not only win Miss Universe Canada 2019, but to represent Canada on the Miss Universe stage.

Q.Who is your role model, if any, and what values of his or her do you wish you could inculcate in your own life, and teach the next generation?

One person who has always had been a role model and a big impact in my life is my “Babcia” (Grandmother in Polish). She lived and experienced the war, poverty and lost both her parents when she was young. She immigrated to Canada with basically nothing, leaving family and friends behind and not knowing how to speak English. She has gone through a lot of hardship to get to where she is today. Yet, she remains strong and confident and always has a positive outlook on life and continues to put the needs of others before herself.  She has built a wonderful life here in Canada, being a single mom raising two children on her own. She is compassionate, independent, hardworking and volunteers in her community. My Babcia has taught me about morals and valuesand she inspires me to be strong, confident and always to stay positive.

Q.If you could be invisible for a day, how would you like to spend it?

If I could be invisible for a day, I would sneak onto an airplane and fly to a destination that I have never been to. Being a university student, I do not get to travel as much due to time and money.  Having the opportunity to travelwould be a great way to immerse myself in the cultural diversity that exists in our world.  I would look forward to maybe learning a few new words of a different language and having the chance to taste new cuisines. By travelling, I would experience a new adventure everyday; traveling gives us a different perspective on life while simultaneously creating lifelong memories.

Q.What or who empowers you to be yourself and work hard every day?

I would say it’s a mixture of both. “Who”empowers me would come from my family, friends, and my followers in which I am grateful for everyday. The support from these people empowers me dailyand I always strive to improve myself,as I want to make them proud. The fact that I have these supporters that believe in me istruly gratifying and an incredible motivator. As for “what”empowers me, I am a huge believer in quotes. In my spare time I love looking up motivational quotes as each one is symbolic of something and resonates with me in some way. I wear a pendant on my necklace that I never take off. The pendant is engraved with the words “I am strong” which was given to me by my Uncle. I love sentimental items because they come with a story and aremeaningful.Most of the time I forget that I am wearing my pendant, but in those moments where I need a little strength I will remember and hold it.  The pendant symbolizes that I have overcome many challenges, obstacles, and even failures in life but have grown stronger because of it.

Q.What is the one thing that keeps you going and inspires you to be the best version of yourself?

I have always implemented a mentality that constantly challenges myself in order to be the best version of myself, both physically and mentally. I firmly believe that it is not what you do in life, but how you do it.Only by challenging yourself can you learn from both your successes and failures. We may not succeed every time but through these life experiences we learn lessons and grow as an individual.I would not have this mentality if it were not for my parents who challenged me as a kid and allowed me to grow. I was fortunate to have parents who went above and beyond in making sure my upbringing was full of opportunity.I am lucky to have a strong support foundation from both my family and friends.

Q.Would you like to share your most special childhood memory with us?

Of course, my most special childhood memory would have to be camping with my family and closefriends. Although I love the aspects of glam that come from pageantry, there is nothing quite like sitting by the campfire outdoors with a jacket 3 sizes too big, sitting back relaxing, sharing stories, and roasting marshmallows. As a kid, it made me appreciate the nature and beauty that surrounded me while simultaneously creating memories with my family that would last me a lifetime. One memory in particular I enjoyed and rememberwereplaying cops and robbers in the woods (with flashlights and walkie-talkies) with everyone followed bysitting near the campfire telling stories. Camping will always be my sanctuary and something that I will implement in my future family. 

Q.What is the one thing you can label as your guilty pleasure?

Besides food, the one thing I can label as my guilty pleasure is reading a good book with a cup of coffee andmusic playing in the background. Funny enough, I couldn’t stand reading as a kid no matter how much my parents encouraged me. One day I decided to pick up a book and read it in a day. It was from that point forward I was hooked. When I read a book,I lovebecoming another character and living their story. I also find it a break from reality when times are stressful.Being a university student I do not get a chance to read fictional booksas much as I would like but when I am on holidays I always look forward to the next adventure Iencounter.

Q.We’re sure that this competition is another milestone in your life. What is that one thing that you ultimately want to achieve?

The one thing I ultimately want to achieve in life is to become a Neurosurgeon. In grade 12, I had the privilege of being present in an operating room with the surgical team and was able to watch two open-heart surgeries up close. I will always have a vivid memory of that day going home and telling my parents “I want to be a surgeon”. Prior to this experience, I planned to go into research due to the fact that I did not know if I would be able to stomach the sight of an operation. However, as cliché as this may sound, I was able to picture the operating room as a second home to me. I will be forever thankful for that experience, as it was the pinnacle point that solidified my future ambition – it inspired me to be that person who can save a life.

Q.If you are granted three wishes right now, what would you ask for?

Obviously, my first wish would beto win Miss Universe Canada as it would be a dream come true. Ever since I was young,I have always wanted to represent Canada not only on an international stage but also on the Miss Universe stage. To be able to represent my country would not only be an honour but a privilege and a gratifying experience.

Secondly, there are many lives that are taken with various illnesses and I wish a cure could be found for all of them, be it cancer, alzheimer's, heart, kidney or liver disease. Not only do these illnesses affect the individual, but also impact those around them, their loved ones, family and friends. Everyone is only given one life and I believe that everyone should be able to live it to the fullest potential without theobstacles of illnesses. 

Thirdly, as mentioned before – I have a guilty pleasure for food; you will not understand my love for food unless you’ve met me. That being said, my last wish is that I would be able to eat all the food in the world (cookies, pizza, pasta, ice cream, you name it) and not gain a pound!

Q.Lastly, is there any message that you would like to give to your fans of Angelopedia?

There are not enough words to express how thankful I am for all the support I have received from my followers to family and friends. As I have mentioned before, all of you give me motivation to be the best possible version of myself not only for this competition but in my day to day life. Thank you for taking the time to read this and getting to know a little bitmore about me. If you would like to keep up to date with my journey to Miss Universe Canada 2019 please feel free to follow me on my instagram:naatsmith and my facebook page: