Way to go Nancy, keep it up for new victories!

She is attractive, energetic, persistent, and successful in everything she sets her mind to. Recently, she officially became the first runner-up of Ms. Woman California, and this title opens doors for her in the world of beauty, fashion, and marketing. In addition to her obvious beauty, Nancy Pešić holds two university degrees. In Los Angeles, she works as a therapist with autistic children, and recently she has also entered serious business waters—soon she is launching a website through which she wants to introduce American citizens to the beauties of Serbia, and above all, Niš. She is also a member of the jury and the selection committee for Miss Serbian Diaspora USA 2020! Find out who Nancy Pešić is, on the runway and behind it, in the following lines!

That you are one of the most beautiful women in California has now been officially confirmed – you are the first runner-up for Ms. California 2020. How did you come to apply, and did you expect such success?

At the end of 2019, I was chosen as Ms. Woman Porter Ranch, which earned me the right to participate in the official Ms. Woman California United States pageant. This pageant was held on August 9th, and I won 2nd place—officially, I am the first runner-up. „By the way, I am the first Serbian woman to compete in this prestigious pageant,” Nancy proudly points out. I competed in the "36+ years unmarried" category. The winners from each category go to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for the official Miss USA pageant. If the winner of my category, Joanna Trailov, wins in Florida in October and becomes Ms. Woman United States, I automatically become Ms. Woman California United States 2020. The pageant is part of the United States National Pageants organization. But nothing happens by chance. In 1994, I was the official Miss Niš. That same year, I participated in one of the Miss Yugoslavia competitions, where I won second place. That is why I now wanted to see what the organization of this type of competition looks like in the United States, how huge that system is, and who all participates. Also, I wanted to create new contacts, to meet people from the world of fashion, marketing, and public life in general.

You continue your knowledge and experience in elections as a trainer. Now you are active in the organization Miss Serbian Diaspora USA 2020, the ongoing competition?

Yes, that is how I met Marina Schwabic, president of the foundation of the American-Serbian Association for Prosperity from Los Angeles, which is the organizer of the Miss Serbian Diaspora USA 2020 pageant. We established cooperation immediately. Now I am also a member of the election committee, as well as a member of the jury. I am also in charge of training the beauty queens for their final performance. In mid-September, I am coming to Chicago to be part of the organization for the general rehearsal of this pageant.

Your engagement in the elections does not stop here; we've heard that you have been invited to participate in the upcoming elections as a candidate as well?

I received an invitation from National Pageants for the Miss West Coast competition, which will be held in the spring of 2021. I also have an offer to represent California at the national level at United International Pageants in July 2021, to represent California in my category—for women over 36 years old. I will think about that only after I finish all my current obligations, but I am certainly honored by these significant invitations.

You have been in America for ten years and are engaged in complex work—working with children who have some form of developmental disability?

In Serbia, I graduated from the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education. In America, I graduated from California State University with a degree in sociology, concentrating on work and society (human resources). I currently work as a Behavior Therapist with autistic children in an elementary school. My plan is to become a Special Education Teacher for children with special needs—specifically autism. I was also recently accepted into such a program at California State University. I work with children every day—one-on-one—specifically little ones with milder forms of autism. This is very fulfilling to me, and every day I learn something new in this field. It takes a lot of hard work, patience, and love, which the children return to you manifold.

Your energy does not allow you to stop at this. Now you are entering a new business, which is a kind of bridge between the American and Serbian nations and culture?

I have started working on a website, which is still in preparation, and my idea is to introduce American citizens to the beauties of Serbia. First of all, I am starting with Niš, since I am from Niš. I would bring them to Niš and its surroundings, and then to other parts of Serbia as well. Our nature and tourist offer in general are not well-known enough to Americans. Niš also has an interesting city life, numerous cafes, restaurants, and, in particular, traditional taverns (kafanas) with good food. Of course, there is also the unavoidable Nišville Jazz Festival; I am sure that is a winning combination. I am just starting out, so this autumn I am also coming to Niš in order to establish contacts and finalize the offer.

You are active on social media, and what is immediately noticeable are the pictures and videos from your numerous travels. Is that also a part of your interests?

That is my hobby, traveling fulfills me. One of my plans is also a travel blog; the domain travellingnomad.info has been bought, so I will present destinations around the world in one place that are not very well represented in standard tourism offers. I research, I film, that's the journalist lurking inside me. I was involved in journalism in Niš for many years, I worked at Niška televizija. And as they say, once a journalist, always a journalist, Nancy concludes with a smile.

In the end, she revealed to us that her dream is to one day have her own house in Greece, because she also has Greek blood. We wish her success in everything she does, as she is evidently successful in many fields. We expect many more surprises from Nancy, and we are certainly keeping our fingers crossed for her in upcoming beauty pageants, where she successfully represents both America and Serbia. Once again, well done Nancy, and keep moving forward to new victories!

WRITTEN BY: SNEŽANA LAZIĆ AND PHOTO: PRIVATE ARCHIVE