A City worker has told how she competes as an international beauty queen to show she’s “more than just a suit” and help disadvantaged young people get ahead in the corporate world.
Laura Entwistle started competing in beauty pageants while studying at Cardiff University for a degree in Business and Computer Science.
Despite being naturally shy, she said she wanted to push herself to be more confident and thought beauty pageants would be a chance to “try something different” and out of her comfort zone.
Although her first competition was a disaster — “I had no idea what I was doing” — in the past decade she has won many titles and is now Ms Europe Beautiful.
After university the 28-year-old, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, moved to London to work as a technology consultant in the City.
Keen to make the most of her beauty queen profile to help others, she started mentoring young people hoping to get City jobs through volunteering for Business in the Community.
Ms Entwistle, who lives in Croydon, said: “I thought there must be a way to help people through my role in the public eye as a beauty queen.”
Her sideline often helped to inspire those she mentors, she added. “It shows them I am more than just a suit. It encourages them that you can have a good job and a passion on the side.”
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