Miss Photogenic Competition/12.jpg

Interview With Contestant #12: Ashley Zhu
Born: Guangzhou, China
Age: 21
Occupation: Student at New York University

What are you studying?

Communications.

What is your ambition?

To be a businesswoman.

Is this the first pageant that you’ve entered or have you done others?

I’ve done others before (names a Chinese pageant in Mandarin). I joined a pageant in Beijing – I joined two pageants there.

I understand that you have modeling experience. Can you tell me a little bit about what you’ve done?

Yeah, just like the catwalk. I was a commercial model before editorial, and in high school, then I changed to [being a] runway model.

You were probably very comfortable with the photo shoots today. Is it a little bit different when people are giving you orders and telling you where to stand?

Yeah. I just show my poses myself.

Can you tell me a little bit about your talent portion that you’re doing?

For the finals, for the talent, I’ll play the accordion.

Really. How long have you played?

Oh, since I was 4 years old.

Wow. Did you take lessons too?

No, not really. I took lessons before in China from like kindergarten school to primary school.

‘Cuz that’s a very unusual talent for music, ‘cuz most people do piano or violin.

Yeah, exactly. In the preliminary interview, I played piano. [But] Eric [Yuen, the pageant’s executive director] said that too many contestants were playing the piano, so he asked, ‘Can you change to another talent?’

And you happened to know the accordion.

Yeah. I was [also] a conductor in the orchestra.

In school?

In school. From primary school and high school.

Ashley later said that the contestants had their measurements taken for the custom-made clothes, which included the cheongsam she is wearing in this picture (click on the link). She said that she wished she could keep it, but they had to return everything!