Nina Davuluri is the new Miss America — and the first Indian American to win the competition. Crowned two weeks ago, she has already started a social media campaign for her platform, “Celebrating Diversity Through Cultural Competence”.

It looks like Davuluri has her work cut out for her because Twitter exploded with many contrasting points of view regarding the judges’ decision last month. Some users were extremely rude, writing racist comments about her Indian heritage. She has been called Miss 7-11, The Arab, a Muslim (in fact, she is actually Hindu) and even a terrorist. Some tweets even associated her with the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization and ranted about how close the competition was to the anniversary of September 11th, 2001.

However, Davuluri is unfazed. “It was an unfortunate experience, but for one negative comment, there were dozens of […] positive remarks and support,” she stated. “A lot of that stemmed from ignorance, and that’s why my platform is so timely right now.  I have to rise above that. I always viewed myself as first and foremost American.”

Hailing from Syracuse, New York, Davuluri’s parents emigrated from India together in 1981. She lived with her parents and other relatives in India until she was two, and then moved back to America — first to Oklahoma and then to Michigan. Davuluri enjoys singing and has taken classical Indian dance classes from an early age. In fact, she celebrated her cultural heritage by performing a Bollywood fusion dance for the talent portion of the Miss America Pagent. “It’s the first time Bollywood has ever been performed on the Miss America stage and it’s such an honor for myself, my family and the Indian community, as well,” she said.

Another notably diverse aspect to the competition this year is that the runner-up, Crystal Lee from California, is also an Asian American. She is Chinese, not Indian, but as Davuluri commented right before the winner was announced, they both made history that night: two Asian American women standing together, representing America. It is also a surprising coincidence that Nina Davuluri was crowned thirty years after the first African American Miss America. Vanessa Williams, who also faced backlash about how she supposedly did not represent America, was not only Miss New York, too, but also won when the competition that was held in Atlantic City, where it was held this year. Vanessa Williams got to speak to Davuluri about this amazing coincidence, and how she stayed strong despite the racism that clouded her win. She commented, “Nina is a beautiful girl, but Miss America isn’t chosen just for beauty. She’s articulate, intelligent, and a great representative.”

At twenty-four, she has her future planned out far beyond beauty pageants. With an undergraduate degree in Brain Behavior and Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan, Davuluri plans on going to medical school like many of her family members, and has already started applying to potential colleges.

Reflecting back on what happened, we must note that the Miss America Pageant is first and foremost a scholarship organization. Beyond the evening dresses and bathing suits, it is an amazing chance for an exceptional woman in every generation to achieve their academic goals and serve as role models for other young women. “I’m so happy this organization has embraced diversity,” Davuluri said, according to AP. “I’m thankful there are children watching at home who can finally relate to a new Miss America.”