MADISON, Wis. – A pre-med freshman at New York University, Shreya Gundelly, was crowned Miss Wisconsin Teen USA — the first East Indian to hold the title. Gundelly, 19, was born and reared in Mequon, Wisconsin. Gundelly started the pageant circuit at age 12. Pageants, she said, have given her confidence about her culture. “I would never talk about my Indian classical dance,” she sajd. “I would never share my culture because I was embarrassed by it, honestly.” Now. Gundelly said, she goes into schools and talks with other young people about the importance of inclusion and acceptance.
Gundelly. Her next stop the Miss Teen USA pageant in Tulsa in November.