Nicole Faria was the first Indian to win the Miss Earth title in 2010. Since then, the supermodel and actor, based in Bangalore, has been involved in a variety of social causes to help improve the city. Having posed for fashion magazines like Elle, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and others, Nicole has also walked the ramp for Lakme, Wills, Delhi, and the Colombo Fashion Weeks. She appeared on the Kingfisher Calendar in 2014. Making her Bollywood debut with Yaariyan in 2014, Nicole has signed a couple of film projects. Nicole completed her PUC from Christ University in 2007 and BA Psychology from Mount Carmel College in 2010. “I enjoyed my time at both these institutions, which introduced me to different dimensions in life,” she begins.
She continues, “I learnt a lot from different people in college, including my fellow students and professors. While I studied Psychology as a subject, I got a chance to deal with people and relationships. This helped me understand psychology in a practical context. I understood human nature can vary under different circumstances. College is a micro system that helps us understand the macro system about people, culture, behaviour, dreams and aspirations. More than from textbooks, we learnt from people and human relations.”
As she started modelling quite young, one of Nicole’s proudest moments was when she won Miss Earth for India in 2010. “This helped with my self confidence and reinforced my desire to be popular,” she adds. Being a model, her choice of clothes got her into trouble occasionally. “I was once sent home because my salwar kameez was short. This taught me to stay within the parameters prescribed.”
Nicole is grateful for the teachers she had at Christ. “I got along well with my friends and teachers. The teachers did a good job in making us understand not just the subject but also life. The individual attention they showered on us was wonderful,” she says.
Juggling academics and modelling, Nicole says that she didn’t get time to be involved in extracurricular activities except Centre for Social Action, a students’ movement for Humane and Just Society. “The other part of college I enjoyed was the occasional bunking. We would hang around the college campus, at friends’ houses, eat to our hearts content and watch movies. Rarely, we used to even discuss academics,” she quips.
Before bidding adieu, Nicole has words of wisdom for the younger generation who are to step into the college phase soon, “College is fun when we experiment, explore possibilities and take risks. It’s the first test as we get to understand a little bit of life in general, and competition in particular. It’s not about grades but the life lessons we take home.”
— akshay@newindianexpress.com