In her final year at NIST, year 13 student Lara has her sights set not only a graduation cap, but also a tiara in the 2021 Miss Universe Thailand contest. Despite her busy schedule, juggling both her studies and the pageant, she took a few minutes to describe her experiences at NIST and how it drove her to make the leap to the national spotlight.
My name is Sarinthorn, but my nickname is Lara. I’ll be graduating with the Class 2022, and I’m planning to apply to universities in the UK and Thailand. But right now I’m currently competing on the Miss Universe Thailand stage! I have been at NIST my whole life, since early years to now. The school places such an important focus on critical thinking, analytical skills and curiosity. It’s helped me to become more confident and a go-getter, so who knows how many opportunities I’ve opened for myself with this mindset?
I have so many memories from my time at NIST: moving from building to building while growing up and feeling excited every year. I treasured quietly studying during rainy days. So much of who I am was influenced by school. I feel empowered and free to explore the things that I love – and it made me a more confident person. That drove me to try out for Miss Universe Thailand. I love pageants, and I wanted to show the world who I am – as someone who loves academics and service, and views pageants as an art form.
In terms of my future career, NIST has opened so many possibilities through their academic curriculum, and has made me consider both traditional and non-traditional jobs as a result. Since starting to compete, I have realized how special the environment is at NIST, how diverse it is, and how free we are to think about our identities and what we want to do in life.
The one piece of advice I would give to the next generation of students is to keep pushing! NIST is a great school and can support you in so many ways, so seize the opportunities as much as you can.
