The final of the "Miss BNTU 2026" competition is approaching. Soon, the contestants will take to the stage to showcase their talents and captivate the audience. However, before capturing the hearts of the audience, the young women take us behind the scenes of their appearance. This time, third-year student of the Faculty of Energy, Maria Skorobogataya, shared her perspective on life.
The competition's theme, "Take a Step Towards Yourself," motivates girls to explore their true desires. It's also an opportunity to showcase their strengths and overcome certain fears. Speaking about herself, Maria noted that she demonstrated her inner strength early in her university career.
"I went through a very difficult time in 10th grade. I've been dancing professionally since I was five. One morning, as I was getting out of the shower, I felt a pinched nerve in my back, paralyzing my lower body. I ended up in the hospital and was out of active life for a year, not going to school. After that, I couldn't dance for two years. In my first year, I was really, really scared to try it; I thought I'd never return to this field. But I decided to give it a try again during the BNTU Spring Festival. That festival left a lasting impression, and despite all the difficulties, I performed on stage with the other girls. At that moment, I realized I was capable of much more than I thought."
Through the lens of her own experience, the phrase "Take a step towards yourself" for Maria means overcoming difficulties and never giving up on achieving more.
"Problems will always arise in life that need to be addressed, not just sat on your hands. Only hard work allows you to improve and reach new heights."
However, Maria puts her experience above her achievements. Much more important, in her opinion, is a conscious path to the goal.
"Truly significant achievements are unthinkable without self-knowledge. Any result loses its value if the path to it was unconscious. Victory is important only when you understand its true motives: why you need it and what internal resources helped you come to it."
– Continuing this topic, what conscious achievements are you proud of?
"If I recall from the last one, then I am very proud that I passed my driver's license the first time in Minsk. I had a specific goal to take the exam in Minsk the first time. And although many friends said that it was easier to pass in my hometown, I still persistently went to the metropolitan traffic police. I also had a goal to eat at McDonald's, which is located opposite Cologne Cathedral. I applied for a visa a year ago, but I couldn't find anyone to travel with. This year I decided to go abroad alone. At first, it was difficult to deal with organizational issues and it was scary to think that any difficulties might arise during the trip. But in the end, it was very interesting to travel alone, and it became for me a kind of tick in the list of goals for life."
Traveling gives Maria a breath of fresh air. The finalist is distracted from the hustle and bustle of everyday life by trips to beautiful places. The girl prefers active recreation with hiking and excursions to lying on the beach.
Outside of traveling, the finalist also likes days with a busy schedule. That is why, when she saw the news about the casting of the Miss BNTU – 2026 contest, she realized that she could easily combine her studies and personal life with participation in the project.
"In the first two years, I also looked at this competition, I went to the finals to cheer for the girls from my faculty. Also in previous years, the preparation for the Spring Dance Day was a priority. This year, the decision to go to the casting was a bit spontaneous. I've had a busy schedule all my life. I have always combined my studies with work or some other activity: foreign language courses, driving school. And this semester it so happened that I have free time, and I thought it would be great to take part in the "Miss BNTU"."
Success in beauty contests largely depends not only on external data, but also on the wealth of the inner world. According to Maria, her inner beauty is manifested in helping her loved ones.
"It seems to me that no matter what kind of appearance a person has, if he is beautiful internally, then this will manifest itself on his external beauty. How a person talks, what his charisma is, whether there is light in his eyes – all this affects his appearance. It's obvious to me that inner beauty is more important, and appearance only complements it. I express my inner wealth in helping my friends and parents. I always try to help them, even if it changes my plans for the day. I believe that sometimes you need to sacrifice yourself for the sake of your loved ones."
– What values do you think a finalist of the Miss BNTU contest should have?
"It should be a purposeful, friendly girl, ready to help. Self-confidence also plays a big role in this competition. A person can have very good skills in vocals, choreography, and come up with an original business card, but if a girl can't pull herself together at the right moment and show everything she's prepared, it's going to hurt her a lot. In this case, she will not be able to reach her full potential."
Of course, believing in one's own strength at one moment is a very difficult task. And Maria is convinced that you should not wait for the right moment when you finally have the courage. On the contrary, it is worth acting and not paying attention to your fear.
"Fear will not go away on its own. You just need to start doing what you want and ignore the stereotypes in society. I see the competition itself as an opportunity to get rid of these stereotypes and gain personal growth. Now, in the process, I'm learning new sides of myself: somewhere it's hard for me, somewhere I realize that I did a good job."
Although the contestant is intensively preparing for the finals, she perceives the final performance not as the end, but as the start for new achievements.
"The final of the competition is an impetus for something more. I do not plan to stop at this event, I will try myself further in other similar contests."
We thank Maria for telling us about herself. We wish to impress the audience and get the coveted crown.
