MUA 2020 NSW State Finals

Friday, 28th February saw the Miss Universe New South Wales State Final take place at the epic Café Del Mar Rooftop Terrace. Hosted by Francesca Hung and Sophia Barbagallo the State’s Finalists vied for a spot in the National Final. The evenings presentations saw six girls selected as National Finalists for 2020. Anneliese Zanchetta, Emily Tokic, Maddison Coluccio, Mikayla Schnabel, Rebecca Portugal, Tash Galgut and Taylor Davey were all selected as National Finalists.

ANNELIESE ZANCHETTA - @anneliese_zanchetta
AGE: 20
OCCUPATION: Working in hospitality while studying a Bachelor of Communications
ABOUT ME: “I am from the beautiful Northern Beaches. I am currently in my final year of studying a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in public relations and social media digital studies with the hope of one day opening up my own public relation agency. Being a survivor of an eating disorder, it is really important to me that throughout my career I spread the message of body positivity. I want my agency to uplift women in comparison to the way traditional media in the past has been known to use photoshop and body shaming to pressure and demise women’s self confidence.”

EMILY TOKIC - @emilytokic
AGE: 21
OCCUPATION: Paralegal and Law Student
ABOUT ME: “I am currently working as a paralegal at a law firm, alongside completing my final year of my law degree. Upon completion, I hope to pursue a career in international humans right law, which would provide me with the opportunity to advocate on issues that I am passionate about, such as denouncing discrimination against girls and women, along with equal access to education. I believe that I am capable of making a difference in this world, and I would love to help and advocate for those members of society who are often voiceless. I hope to encourage and inspire young women to achieve their dreams and reach their career goals, by sharing my stories, my successes and my failures.”

MADDISON COLUCCIO - @madzcoluccio
AGE: 23
OCCUPATION: Model, Actor and Voice-Over Artist
ABOUT ME: “I am a fulltime model, actor, and voice-over artist. I have a strong creative drive and love to entertain. I have gained qualifications in film, live performance, and improvisation in both Sydney and Los Angeles. I am Italian. Born and raised on pasta. My family owns and operates a farm and I am a country girl at heart. I have a deep appreciation for animals, nature and getting my hands dirty every now and then. As someone with enormous dreams, I passionately believe I have a responsibility to encourage women, in particular, to strive for a career they can pour their hearts into. I am an advocate for self-help, taking risks, fearlessness and harnessing our inner power to shift our thoughts and redesign our lives. I consider myself fortunate and my life is full of blessings. This has prompted my strong motivation to give back to the community by supporting significant charities and causes, some of which include: UNICEF, Starlight Foundation and Guide Dogs Australia.”

MIKAYLA SCHNABEL - @mikaylaschnabel
AGE: 23
OCCUPATION: Model and Concierge
ABOUT ME: “ Living just south of Sydney, I’ve spent my childhood covered in salt and sand, jumping from the beach to the National Park. In doing so, I’ve grown a strong relationship with the environment, sparking an interest in studying animal conservation & ecology. I hope to highlight the importance of conservation through my modelling platform which I am working toward achieving my goal of modelling internationally! Currently, I’m also working in a large accounting firm in Sydney. This is perfect for me as I love having a chat with anybody and everybody! I hope to use my working experience of connecting with people from all walks of life to help support the youth in dealing with and overcoming peer pressure and bullying as it is something I’ve overcome and extremely passionate about. On a day off you’ll find me hitting up restaurants around Sydney (I’m a sucker for middle eastern cuisines – hello baklava!) or tearing up the netball courts with an incredible team of ladies!”

TASH GALGUT - @tashgalgut
AGE: 22
OCCUPATION: Part Time Model and Part Time Start up Founder
ABOUT ME: “My childhood was centred around Bondi beach and after getting the travel bug badly following school (and completing my Bachelor of Business), I have come full circle, back to the beach. At the moment, I model full time, aiming to be a role model for mental/physical health as well. Modelling funds by business venture; an environmentally friendly e-commerce platform. As a result, I can save the world in my own small way, reducing the carbon footprint of consumerism.”

TASH GALGUT - @tashgalgut
AGE: 22
OCCUPATION: Part Time Model and Part Time Start up Founder
ABOUT ME: “My childhood was centred around Bondi beach and after getting the travel bug badly following school (and completing my Bachelor of Business), I have come full circle, back to the beach. At the moment, I model full time, aiming to be a role model for mental/physical health as well. Modelling funds by business venture; an environmentally friendly e-commerce platform. As a result, I can save the world in my own small way, reducing the carbon footprint of consumerism.”

TAYLOR DAVEY - @taylordavey1
AGE: 19
OCCUPATION: Fashion designer and Model
ABOUT ME: “I am from Cronulla nestled in Sydney’s south. I am currently working for a designer fashion label with every hope of one day creating beautiful world-renowned pieces. Through my work, I hope to create a sense of confidence and familiarity that people can feel with their bodies. I believe that I am here to spread the message of positivity, kindness and inclusion as everyone is equal and unique in their own way and no one should be excluded because of that.”

NSW STATE FINAL COCKTAIL PARTY