Meet Maya Ramsahoye, who brings a diverse background in modeling and makeup from small town Alberta to the world stage.
The Wainwright product got the push to pursue modeling from her mother and now runs a cosmetics business and has ventured into acting.
Maya wants to use her growing social media platform, which includes teenagers and women, as she seeks to inspire that demographic and “crush” what she calls “unreasonable social media and societal expectations” placed on women. .
“My platform is titled Perfectly Imperfect. It’s just about embracing you as a human being – and that’s where I can really include my life as a makeup artist, because it’s been the ability to work with so many people and to encourage women and whoever I’m working with to be calm and confident with who they are.”
Maya recently participated in the Miss Universe Canada pageant and she says it was incredible meeting people from so many different backgrounds across the country and interacting with the eventual Miss Canada, who recently placed in the top-16 in the pageant Miss Universe in New Orleans.
Maya reflects on the various socio-political and environmental causes that the delegates themselves include.
“I think of all the women who compete in the pageant – although there are many, it’s only a small percentage of our population worldwide. But just the amount of difference one person can create is absolutely incredible to witness. So that’s one of my favorite things — just learning about every other pageant’s cause because it’s so inspiring and it really adds hope to your life knowing that it can make such a difference.”
She says that “advertising is a way of life and you have to commit to it.”
Ramsahoye’s Canadian heritage combines Indo-Chinese/Caribbean roots from Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana on her father’s side with her mother’s English, Scottish and Irish ancestry. As she connects with people across the country, she sees the importance of discovering your diversity and embracing it.
“Canada is such a multicultural, diverse and unique country. So it’s really incredible to meet so many people and learn about their backgrounds. But I think embracing your diversity is one of the most important things to do because no one else is going to have what you have. There will be commonalities – of course. People can be understanding, but you’re really special about how you grew up, how you grew up, where you come from.”
Another pageant is on the cards for Maya in the future as she represents her legacy to the world.
