When asking anyone about Coppell High School senior Navmi Srithaj, “beautiful” is inevitably the first word you will hear.
When she walks into a room, it is not just her appearance that turns heads — it is the confidence, grace and genuine warmth that radiates from her presence.
Earlier this year, Srithaj won the title of Miss Flower Mound’s Teen.
She learned about the activity through CHS 2024 graduate Sunya Ajani and New Tech High @ Coppell 2024 graduate Nandita Sanjay, two familiar pageant faces representing the Coppell community.
“I met Navmi at a pageant in 2024 that I was doing my title for, and she reached out to me because she was interested in competing,” Ajani said. “My best friend [Sanjay] and I were actually under the same director at the time, and she decided to take Navmi in. I have mainly given her my expertise and helped take her headshots since I’m a photographer.”
Miss North Texas/Denton director and Srithaj’s pageant director Martina Kelley said although Srithaj is still new to the pageant world, she was extremely passionate about diving into it.
“Navmi is very quick on her feet, answering impromptu questions,” Kelley said. “From being the girl next door, to being relatable, to having a beautiful smile, Navmi has taken every obstacle that has been in her way and combated it with a positive attitude and a smile on her face.”
Srithaj was initially not too confident about being in pageantry.
Reflecting on her personal growth through the experience, Srithaj attributes pageantry to making her come out of her shell. Recalling the crowning moment, Srithaj is still amazed by the outcome.
“I used to think pageantry was only about modeling, but after I really started to get involved, I realized that it’s more about service, personality and being outgoing,” Srithaj said. “I always thought it was something unattainable and something that I would never be able to do, but after I got into it, I realized it was all in my head.”
Srithaj describes pageants as accessible to anyone willing to participate.
“Pageants are an activity that absolutely everyone can participate in,” Srithaj said. “It’s not only about beauty, but also about expressing your personality. In all honesty, it’s anybody’s game and as long as you’re confident in yourself, no matter who you are, you can win.”
Kelley emphasizes Srithaj’s potential as a role model.
“Navmi’s role is to be a role model for young women, all young women, especially young women who look like her, ones who lack confidence, ones who are shy, ones who felt like they couldn’t because they didn’t see themselves represented on the stage,” Kelley said. “We want strong women to create a powerful world and to say she is the embodiment of those values is an understatement.”
Srithaj’s unique experiences bring diversity to the pageant world.
“I brought a lot of diversity to the pageant through the activities that I did, like playing the flute, and even my ethnicity,” Srithaj said. “In general, there’s not enough representation of South Asian women. There’s never been an Indian woman who has won, and I think it would be so cool to show other little girls in Texas that they can do it too.”
As part of the pageant requirements, participants must initiate a Community Service Initiative. Srithaj’s CSI focuses on upcycling and fast fashion with an emphasis on sustainability in manufacturing.
“She’s really interested in trying to bring sustainability into the fashion industry and make a global impact,” Kelley said.
Pageantry transformed Srithaj as a person..
“The most rewarding aspect is the person I’ve become after pageantry,” Srithaj said. “I used to be so shy, and I think this has helped me get outside my comfort zone and become more confident in myself.”
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