Nguyen crowned Mrs. Universal Petite
“I still can’t believe it,” she said about winning the Mrs. Universal Petite Pageant. “It’s over a week now, but still
feel that I’m still dreaming. I can’t believe that one day I can walk on an international stage and I brought home the big crown.
“My daughter and my former foster daughter are really proud of me,” she said.
On July 10, Nguyen headed to Chicago to be a supporter for all the contestants for Mrs. Petite USA, which took place the weekend of July 11-12.
“I will definitely continue with my mission, my platform, White Lotus Rising, and with my title, I will be able to expand it internationally,” she said, explaining White Lotus Rising refers to the flower that grows in muddy water and still thrives. Nguyen’s message is to empower young girls, including sexual assault survivors, to believe in themselves.
“No matter what life does to them, they can grow and be resilient like the flower,” she added.
Nguyen said the pageant was created especially for women 5 feet, 6 inches and under.
“Of course, it’s perfect for me because I’m petite. I’m only 5 foot, 2 inches,” she said.
The founder, Hazely Lopez, also a petite woman, “wanted to do something about empowering and uplifting other women, and that’s why she created Petite USA,” Nguyen said. “Then she passed it onto one of her queens, and she made it into the Universal Petite, an international title.”
“The Petite USA celebrates 16 years this year,” she added. “The Universal [pageant] came a year after that.”
This is Nguyen’s second win with the pageant, as she won the People’s Choice Award last year. She said she happened to see advertising for this year’s Mrs. Petite USA online and decided to apply as a Mrs. Tennessee Petite.”
She participated to show girls their dreams can come true.
She explained she is a former foster mother, taking in children to help raise. Some of those were sexual assault survivors.
“When I became a mother of an adopted daughter, I wanted to do something to show her that [the girls] can dream about whatever they want and work hard for it,” she said.
While she signed up last year as Mrs. Petite Vietnam, she said whether she runs as Mrs. Petite Vietnam or Mrs. Petite Tennessee, “I still have the same purpose and mission.”
Angel Nails, a family-owned business, has been operating for more than 20 years.
“We are a part of Farragut,” said Nguyen, who has been in Farragut 19 years. “My brother-in-law and sister started the business.”
