Congratulations MRS. GEENA SANDHU from Goa for being selected as a finalist of Mrs India International Queen 2022! Let’s know more about her. We interviewed Mrs. Geena and here are her amazing answers:

Name: Geena Sandhu
Profession: Retired as a Meteorological Officer from the Armed Forces. Preparing to pursue PhD in Marine Science.

Qualification: B.E Computer Science, M.Sc Applied Meteorology
Location: Goa
Strengths: My resolve, a strong sense of belief in self, an ability to see the good in every situation
Weakness: Micromanaging tasks, overthinking minor details in any job
Likes:  Gaming on my PS4, cooking a special meal, rainy and foggy weather, trekking, listening to indie/ alternative rock music, going for a run, writing blogs, reading detective fiction/ philosophical novels
Dislikes: Loud places, creepy crawlies, hot and humid places, speculating / talking too much

Tell us about your family:

My family consists of my husband who is serving in the Armed Forces and our three and a half year old daughter.

Quotes that keep you going, motivates you:

• “You can do anything you set your mind to.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
• “Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of the one who sees.” ~ Rumi
• “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” ~ Rumi

Achievements/ Anything you are proud of yourself:

Although being an extremely indoor person who undertook absolutely no sports activity until college, I made it my personal goal to upgrade my fitness level upon joining the Naval Academy for training. Transforming from a person who could not run 100 m to someone who would run 5-6 kms regularly as a means of keeping fit and for enjoyment, has been a personal achievement for me.

What is Women Empowerment according to you?

It starts with ‘Her’. A woman needs to believe in her own abilities. When a woman feels empowered and believes in her potential to make her dreams come true, everything else falls into place. She needs to overcome the limitations and the boundaries she has set in her own mind. Once she is free of her self confinement, she can overcome any obstacle and truly shine.

Message for the society:

Let us not limit or stereotype a woman into a specific role based on her profession, her stage in life or her age. Be it a professional, a soldier, a mother, a homemaker, let’s not have set expectations or limit her idea of living based on preconceived notions. It is the people around her who can strengthen her desire to live upto her full potential by being there for her. To respect her for all that she is and all that she can be if she believes in herself. To start with, let’s come forward and support every woman playing a significant part in our lives and truly believe in her ability to do so much more.

How will you give back to society after becoming a Queen?

It would be a story of a bookworm and an introvert girl, without any exposure in this field but who longed to give it a shot and decided it was time to go beyond and do more. Listening to her heart’s desire, she decided to tread on this journey of unfamiliar yet exciting terrain. The story of going beyond expectations of others and of her own. I would come back and share this story with the people in my hometown in Goa as well as write about it on my blog. Sharing the story with the world would be a means to inspire other girls and women to take their dreams seriously. I would utilise this opportunity to serve as an example of what it feels to be empowered when you believe in yourself.

Why have you participated in Mrs India International Queen?

Even though I have been someone who was studious and was always found with my books, there was a part of me that wanted to be a part of a pageant. The reason was simple. A pageant celebrates a person’s uniqueness and lets their true self shine. To be honest, ten years ago I did not have the courage to share this wish of mine with my family. After retiring from defence forces, it has yet again become a possibility for me. This time I do not want to miss this opportunity. And hence here I am, ready for a whole new experience.