# Shriya Boppana

Shriya Boppana (born January 8, 1999) is an Indian-American beauty pageant titleholder, award-winning activist, and on-air personality who was crowned as the winner of Miss India America 2020 and 1st Runner Up at Miss Grand US Virgin Islands 2024. Boppana is a broadcast journalist currently at WDCA (locally known as "FOX 5 Plus") in Washington, D.C. and a consulting analyst at Accenture.

## Early life

Boppana was born In Hyderabad, Telangana to a Telugu family. She is a descendant of activist author and Indian freedom fighter, Shri Lingaya Gadde, who went to jail multiple times while taking part in the 1923 Civil Disobedience, Flag Satyagraha, and Quit India Movement.
She was raised in Herndon, Virginia. She graduated from Herndon High School in 2017, and later received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University in 2021. In July 2024, she joined Duke University's Fuqua School of Business for her Master of Business Administration as a Forte Foundation Fellow and a Fuqua Impact Scholar.

## Pageantry

In September 2020, Boppana placed 1st Runner Up at Miss India DC 2020 and was later awarded Miss India America 2020.
In August 2022, Boppana placed 1st Runner Up at Miss Earth DC 2022 also winning High Point Interview award for 30/30 highest interview score.
On 25 March 2024, Boppana placed 1st Runner Up at Miss Grand US Virgin Islands 2024, preliminary to Miss Grand International, also winning Miss Grand Smile, Miss Congeniality 2nd Runner Up, and highest interview score.
In May 2024, Boppana declined the title of Miss Cosmo US Virgin Islands 2024 to pursue her MBA at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
In October 2024, Boppana was introduced as the interview and speech coach for Mrs Universe California, preliminary to Mrs Universe, and, in November 2024, became the official mentor and pageant coach of the inaugural edition of Miss and Mrs Telugu USA.
In February 2025, Boppana confirmed her registration for Miss Grand India 2025 on Instagram making her the first-ever non-resident Indian to compete for the Miss Grand International system in India.

## Advocacy

On 7 July 2020, Boppana was featured in an Op-Ed for the Wall Street Journal advocating for workforce access and job opportunities for new graduates amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic. She would go on to be featured in their 'Future View' section on 15 September 2020, advocating for tuition decrease in higher education amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic in 'Weighing College's Cost Amid Covid,' on 12 January 2021, debating post-pandemic lifestyle changes for younger generations in 'A Second Roaring '20s?' on 5 October 2021, debating the validity and importance of college rankings in 'What College Rankings Don't Tell You,' on 3 December 2024, explaining Gen Z leveraging AI as an effective tool to automate mundane tasks in 'AI and the Automation of Work for Gen Z,' and the Wall Street Journal's 'Future View' Snap series on the pros and cons of the death penalty.
In 2021, Boppana founded Becoming A Voice, a resource creation center for gender and sex crime advocacy content. She also joined the US Department of Justice's DC Human Trafficking Task Force.
In April 2021, Boppana won the student speaker competition for TedXCMU and presented a TedX talk delving into media's role on perpetuating gender stereotypes and imbalance.
On 14 May 2021, Boppana was a featured student speaker thanking educators nationwide at Her Campus' 2021 graduation ceremony, Cheer to the Future, alongside prominent guests, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, journalist Katie Couric, singer and actress Sofia Carson, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, and correspondent Pamela Brown.
In June 2021, Boppana was invited to host a panel on gender-based violence in media at the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up 2021 Leadership Summit.
On 11 October 2021, Boppana took over Brooke Shields' Instagram for She's The First's #GirlsGetLoud campaign on International Day of the Girl advocating for children's sexual health education and menstrual hygiene. She was also featured in Bobbi Brown's 'Pretty Powerful' campaign in partnership with She's The First for International Day of the Girl. Boppana was the former Carnegie Mellon University chapter president for 3 years before becoming a Global Youth Ambassador for She's The First in 2021.
In November 2021, Boppana joined Indian child sexual assault prevention organization, Bachpan Save the Innocence, as a media designer and workshop facilitator helping build resources and curriculum to teach safe and unsafe touch to children in poverty-stricken areas of Northern India. As of 2024, Boppana has created stickers, posters, and helped build curriculum that has educated over 19,000 children in over 360 colleges, schools, and orphanages with the organization.
On 22 February 2022, Malala Fund's publication, Assembly, featured Boppana in a Roll Call piece detailing a day-in-the-life as an intern at Paramount, formerly ViacomCBS, working to increase LGBTQIA+ and underrepresented racial and gender identities in reality TV casting. She later become the cover story for the publication's Volume 4, Issue 16 and was credited as a casting intern for 'Awesomeness Next Influencer' Season 3.
In late February 2022, Boppana was She's The First's featured submission and award-winning entry for John and Hank Green's 2022 Project for Awesome advocating for youth representation and leadership. She helped secure a $25,000 #P4A2022 grant for the organization.
In late April 2022, the United Nations Foundation and their Girl Up campaign featured Boppana as an alum who gives back to the organization through mentorship with #GenerationGirlUp towards their 'Equal Everywhere' mission.
On 21 July 2022, the Malala Fund (founded by Malala Yousafzai) featured Boppana's activism journey on their social media. Malala later featured Boppana in her 2022 International Day of the Girl video on TikTok.
In 2023, Boppana made the inaugural Forbes 30 Under 30: Austin local list as an activist and TV personality for her anti-sex trafficking work with Becoming A Voice. In April, she was inducted into the Fairfax County Public Schools Hall of Fame also for her anti-sex trafficking and youth empowerment advocacy with Becoming A Voice.
In October 2024, Boppana hosted a panel on girls' education rights at the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up 2024 Global Leadership Summit alongside Diana award winner, Muzhda Akbari, and STEM activist, Elisa Torres Durney. On 10 December 2024, the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up Campaign featured a viral quote from Boppana's panel on their Instagram.

## On-Air personality

'Becoming A Voice with Shriya Boppana' produced by Global Television Networks first aired on the show Capital Forum on WDCA (locally known as "FOX 5 Plus") in February 2021. The segment aired six episodes in season one and was renewed for season two in 2023.
On 3 August 2021, Boppana was featured in an episode of WJLA (locally known as "ABC 7 News") 'Future Leaders of America.'
On 5 November 2024, Boppana made her TV9 debut covering the 2024 United States Presidential Election on TV9 USA in the United States and TV9 Telugu in India.
After 12 episodes in season two on Fox 5 Plus, Boppana signed with TV9 USA and TV9 Telugu in 2024.