It’s time to toss beauty queen stereotypes out the window. Eunice Olsen is nothing like your typical pageant-winner types who either drift into obscurity or end up at Mediacorp.
The 31-year-old Eurasian and Miss Singapore- Universe 2000 is not just a spokesperson for volunteerism, she also has the rare honour of being the fi rst Singaporean entertainer to become a Nominated Member of Parliament. Not once, but twice.
So one could be forgiven for expecting Eunice, currently serving her second term as NMP, to turn up in a power suit looking immaculate and perhaps, even a little intimidating.
Instead, she strides into the Grand Hyatt lounge sans makeup, in jeans and a casual knit top, with her long, flowing locks bunched up in a ponytail. She’s only five minutes late, but apologises profusely for it. “I’m so sorry. My greatest weakness is waking up in the morning,” she guffaws as she settles into an armchair, flashing a set of retainers on her bottom teeth.
Before you dismiss Eunice as one of those women groomed for stardom and success from a young age, consider her ordinary childhood.
The only child has lived in an HDB flat all her life – even today – with her Chinese mother and Swedish- Portuguese-Malaccan father. She studied in Woodlands Primary, then St Margaret’s Secondary and Anglo- Chinese Junior College.
“We’ve never had a lot of money, but we’ve always had a lot of love in the family. Despite not having much, my parents scrimped and saved to put me through piano classes since I was three,” says Eunice, who is also an accomplished pianist and now the keyboardist of local band CloseApart.
She literally stumbled into celebdom. Coerced by friends to join the Miss Singapore Universe pageant in 2000 while a third-year political science and philosophy undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, Eunice had no idea where it would lead.
5 ideas from Eunice
1 Donate old clothes or books. “Give them to the Salvation Army or look out for collections in your neighbourhood.”
2 Give blood. “It’s painless and easy, and takes only 30 minutes or less. Look out for a mobile blood donation drive (
www.redcross.org. sg), or go to Bloodbank@ HSA (11 Outram Road, 6223-5640,
www.hsa.gov. sg). Your blood is always needed, especially during festive seasons when there are more accidents.”
3 In good company.“Check what your company’s corporate social responsibility programmes offer. It’ll be fun, especially if you volunteer with your colleagues.”
4 Clean and green.“Be environmentally conscious. If every family in Singapore uses one less plastic bag a week, we can save 40 million bags a year. For details, log on to
www.minusplastic.youth.sg.”
5 More kindness. “A kind gesture goes a long way. Even in your everyday life, you may chance upon someone who needs your help.”
