(FOX40.COM) — UC Davis student Caitlin Sandra Neil brought the crown of Miss India USA to California from the national pageant in New Jersey in December.
Neil told FOX40.com, “I couldn’t believe it, I paused for a second. I was like, ‘No way they said my name, am I hearing this right?’”
Neil was born in Chennai, India, and moved to America with her parents and older brother when she was only 6 years old.
When she won the title she said she could see her family in the corner of her eye and saw tears in her mom’s face.
Neil told FOX40.com that the pageant did not require her to have a platform, but she said she knows what she wants to promote now that she has the crown and title.
“I want to advocate more about education and underserved communities, especially in India or Ethiopia. I also want to promote self-discovery and young women to teach them that they don’t have to follow societal expectations to do so,” Neil said.
Neil is currently 19 years old and is in her second year at UC Davis studying cognitive science with the hopes of going into product and UI/UX design.
Neil has been doing pageants for about six months, with her first pageant in August. Even though she did not take the crown in that pageant, she did win a sub-award in Miss Asian Global Best in Cultural Attire.
With the experiences she is gaining from pageants, she hopes to make her childhood dreams of wanting to be in the modeling and acting industry come true.
Neil shares with FOX40.com a piece of advice for anyone that’s wanting to start in the pageant industry.
“You don’t belong to one world or another, you are truly unique so embrace all parts of who you are because when you do that, not only do you power yourself but you inspire others around you, so live your life and follow your passion,” said Neil.
When asked if she would attempt to go for Miss USA, she said she would first see if she could be crowned Miss California.
Photos of Caitlin Sandra Neil at the Miss India USA pageant in December 2024.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
