How important is dressing up to you when you go out?
I do not need to be completely dolled up all time. But before I go out, I spend 15 to 20 mins dressing up and putting on some eyeliner so that I will look presentable. Many people think I do this because I am vain, but I think that dressing up is important for anyone. If you want to feel good about yourself, you should look good too.
And in a guy, what type of character do you see as being important?
I think that it is important for him to be caring. Some usually care more about themselves than others.
I really respect a guy who is driven and is fully determined to achieve what he has set out to accomplish. He does not have to be driven about the same things as me, but he needs to be determined to achieve something that he strongly believes in me.
(Rachel has been very busy with travelling and doing charity work, on top of her studies so she currently does not have a boyfriend. Maybe when Mr Right comes along, Rachel will slow down.)
You have been accepted for a fellowship in East Asian studies at Harvard University. Do you feel that beauty and brains go together in a beauty contest, such as the Miss World Singapore one?
I strongly believe that beauty and brains should not be separated. Beauty should encompass brains and kindness. It is not just the exterior beauty that counts. I think beauty is only skin-deep. It is not just about how a lady looks. It is also important in how she thinks and presents herself, and interacts with others.
If you win the Miss world Singapore title, what do you hope to change about the impressions currently surrounding beauty pageants with your win, and why?
I would like to get rid of the idea that beauty queens are bimbos. They should be a role model and use their influential powers as a winner of a beauty pageant to inspire others to achieving their goals and dreams too.
Many young women actually use beauty pageants such as Miss World Singapore as a platform to advocate the cause that they truly believe in and so provide a face to that particular cause.
I understand that you want to be more involved with the local community in Singapore. In what way?
Actually the main factor influencing my decision to join this Miss World Singapore pageant was to get more involved with the local community here. In the USA, there’s a huge culture of community service, volunteer work, civil engagement. So I want to foster more of this type of thinking in Singapore too. We think that we’re a developed society and doing well here, but fostering this mentality in Singapore is still important. (Continue)
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