Violet Kanian, Armenian by origin, was representing Glendale at the Miss California USA 2012 pageant, is not upset about her defeat. She is full of energy and calls it a good experience. Armenian News-NEWS.am talked to Violet to learn about her plans for the future. 

How do you feel after not having won the competition?

I don’t feel any different after not having won. I went into this whole thing for the experience alone, and if I had happened to win, that would have been incredible, but it wasn’t my main concern. There are so many things the judges are looking for and you can’t assume that you have each of those qualities. I did my best and the outcome was exactly as God wanted it to be. I believe everything happens for a reason, so I know there are bigger opportunities out there for me.

How do you cope up with defeat?

Defeat is an interesting word. I don’t think I’ve ever come across defeat to know how to cope with it. Defeat to me means not having done your personal best, regardless of the outcome. I’ve always been successful.

In one of interviews you mentioned you are afraid of bikini contest. More people see you in bikini when you go to the Malibu beach than when you participate in Miss California 2012, so what was there to be afraid of?

Haha, the bikini question. I’m usually in a tank and shorts, or bikini top and shorts at the beach -- actually, to be quite honest, I don't prefer the beach, I hate sand. The difference, however, was that I would be on stage with judges judging my ever move, body part and look. Plus, you can’t forget the hundreds of people in the audience, plus the millions watching online (I believe the pageant got over a million views online, record breaking!). So it’s a little different than just strolling at the beach where everyone is in a bikini, and no one is particularly judging you.

What was the funniest incident that happened during the competition on the stage and behind the stage?

So many funny things happened during the competition and behind the scenes. One interesting thing was that they had to rearrange a whole dance number because half the girls didn’t make it onto the stage. We don’t think anyone noticed, but it was hilarious. I made 2 great friends and we had a running inside joke throughout the pageant. I can’t really say what it was, but we had some good laughs.

Who do you think was the sexiest girl among the participants? Who would you vote for if you were a jury member?

Oh, what a fun question. There were so many beautiful girls. Girls that were actually genuinely sweet. It’s very hard to say. I’m not sure I can choose just one.

What was it like to participate in such competition? Did you relax and have fun or was it hard and stressful?

It was such an incredible experience. I was very relaxed throughout the whole thing. The only time it got very stressful was right before the 2 shows when I didn't think I would have enough time to get ready. They gave us about an hour to get ready and I usually take 2! That became stressful. The second day, during the finals, I didn’t have time to fix my hair the way I wanted it to look, so I was upset about that. But now looking back, who cares! It was a blast. Plus, I doubt anyone was looking at my hair thinking “Oh no! She didn’t blow dry it correctly!”

Has the number of your fans increased after the competition? Are you receiving more love confessions?

The number of fans has increased and I’m loving every moment of it. I get random people at the local Starbucks or wherever telling me they watched the pageant, or even before it, that they were rooting for me. It’s very overwhelming and at times I get emotional when I hear people telling me how much they support me. I never thought the community would come together like this to support someone in a pageant. It’s incredible. As far as love confessions, haha, not any yet.