A university student has gone from highlighters and textbooks to high heels and sequins as she enters Miss South Asia 2014.

Meena Rajakumar, 21, of Cambridge Road, Seven Kings, will be strutting her stuff down a catwalk this weekend at the Miss South Asia 2014, at the Copthorne Hotel, in Berkshire.

She said: “I’m really looking forward to the competition but I’m probably most excited for taking part in the catwalk as its a chance for me to show off my walk.”

Meena has always dreamed of becoming a full time model and hopes that entering a beauty pageant would be a good chance to ease her way into the world of modelling.

She said: “Modelling is a really difficult industry to get into but I think this is going to help me build up my confidence and show me what I can do to improve.”

But Meena is living a double life as she is currently studying for her teaching degree at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge.

She said: “I think teaching is my back up job route to take if I can’t get into modelling as I do enjoy it and I think it is a far more stable career to get into.

“My parents would like me to become a teacher but to be honest, they’re happy with whatever I choose to do, just as long as I’m happy doing what I’m doing.”

Miss South Asia is a competition entirely for Asian girls, but is just like any other pageant, with a ball gown round, a charity event round, as well as another where girls can dress up in their best saris.

Meena said: “I was born here but my parents were born in Sri Lanka so I know a lot about that culture and I celebrate the fact that my roots are there.

“I just hope that I do well in the contest so fingers crossed!”

Miss South Asia 2014 will be taking place this Sunday (Sept 7).