A first-generation Indian American, undergraduate student, and Miss International 2021, Deepa Dhillon is dedicated to serving those around her as the founder of World for Water and as a future physician.

Deepa was raised in Huntley, Illinois, a small town outside of the Chicago Suburbs. Growing up, she was a quiet and shy child around others, but among family members, she was known for her humor and joy for laughing. Whenever Deepa gets the chance to go home, she spends a lot of time traveling, playing board games, or exploring nature with her family.

Currently, Deepa is a student studying biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she is a UIC Honors College student and member of the GPPA Medical Scholars Program. Outside of class, she enjoys participating in a variety of extracurricular activities, like the UIC Honors College Advisory Board, TEDxUofIChicago, and The Society of Future Physicians. She will continue her education in medical school after graduating with her Bachelors Degree in May of 2022 with hopes of pursuing a career as an orthopedic surgeon.

While Deepa was born in America, her parents are originally from Punjab, India. Her Indian culture is one part of Deepa’s identity that she proudly celebrates. While her immediate family lives in the United States, her extended family still resides in India, where the global water crisis has been impacting their lives as it has for millions of other individuals all around the world.

Water is a right for all as life simply cannot exist without it. In honor of her family and her Godly brothers and sisters who suffer without this basic human right, Deepa created World for Water, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the global water crisis. She strongly believes that we must take control of our water misuse and pollution to keep water clean and abundant for all.

World For Water is honored to have partnered with Water.org, a global initiative that empowers individuals by bringing clean water to vulnerable communities. Together, they aim to educate people about the global water crisis, motivate them to take action, and show how we, together, can become activists for change. 

Deepa is looking forward to serving as Miss International 2021. While she continues her work with World for Water and Water.org, she looks forward to new partnerships and volunteering opportunities with the International Pageants system.

Thank you for taking a moment to read a little bit more about Miss International 2021, Deepa Dhillon. If you are interested in connecting with her, you can reach her at missintl2021@gmail.com. Remember, while we may be one drop individually, together, we are an ocean.

Deepa Dhillon

Miss International 2021