On campus, she is a graduate student at the College of Public Programs, but in the South Asian community of the U.S., Brintha Gardner is this year’s Mrs. India America.

Gardner began making appearances and doing charity work around the Valley as Mrs. India America soon after receiving the title in August from South Asian Inc., a company that hosts multiple pageants for the South Asian community.

Gardner said she wants to live up to her new title by appearing and helping at charitable events as frequently as possible.

“What I have been doing is volunteering with several nonprofits in the Valley, and I’ve been encouraging several other people … to also either support by contributing money or volunteering their time for the same nonprofits,” she said.

Currently, Gardner works at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, but she began doing nonprofit work five years ago after graduating with a master’s degree in international business marketing and finance at Oklahoma City University when the school’s fundraising department hired her.

“I thought I’d try it out,” she said. “I thought that I would be in it for a little bit, just get my foot in the door and then pursue a marketing position later on, but I just stuck with it.”

In that environment she saw how passionate her co-workers were about their missions.

“I got to see some of the operations and what impact the organizations have on the people, the community and, in some cases, the world,” she said. “I wanted to be a part of that.”

Gardner said she decided to go after the title because of the work of the nonprofit associated with the pageant, a group against domestic violence that works to empower women, and because winning would allow her to have a larger impact.

“I wanted to help out their nonprofit in any way I could, and also at the same time, I wanted to be able to help promote nonprofits and causes that I was passionate about,” she said.

Jinnder Chohan, executive producer of South Asia Inc., said Gardner was chosen Mrs. India America by a panel of 10 South Asian directors, actors or actresses either from Hollywood or Bollywood. It was Gardner’s confidence that set her apart from the other nine semifinalists, she said.

“Something that made her different from all the other contestants is that [the panel] noticed a noticeable glow about her,” she said. “She’s a very outgoing person. She’s very aggressive.”

While other winners usually wait a few months, Gardner began her work as Mrs. India America not long after winning, Chohan said.

“[It’s] good that she did charitable causes right away,” she said. “That shows good character. She didn’t hesitate at all. She won the title, and she started booking herself at appearances and for causes.”

Heading into the pageant, Gardner chose Thirst Relief International — an organization that works to improve access to safe water in countries worldwide — as her platform because she learned a lot about the group’s cause before the pageant and decided she wanted to help.

“The first thing that drove me to that organization was that it helped a cause in my home country,” she said. “It was great what work they were doing and how one small thing just like a well could help so many people.”

After winning, Gardner chose to help Thirst Relief International fundraise for a project to bring a well to a district in Coimbatore, India.

However, Gardner said she’s had trouble communicating with the organization since being crowned and hasn’t been able to proceed with work. Gardner hopes her relationship with the fund works out, but she may try to find a way to help that cause even if it doesn’t involve the organization.

“I hope it wouldn’t come to that, but I might look for another nonprofit that has a similar mission that could help bring safe and clean drinking water to the people in that rural area,” she said.

Janice Grandy, one of Gardner’s peers and friends in the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, said she contributed to Gardner’s run to be Mrs. India America because she believes in both Gardner and her cause.

“You don’t just follow somebody because they have a cause,” she said.

“You follow somebody because of the characteristics and traits that are great about them. That’s how people mobilize groups.”

Grandy said Gardner’s new role is a prestigious national acknowledgement of the work she’s done.

“That role will give her what I call the ‘power,’ in a good way, to effect greater change because society looks to people who do unique things,” she said. “What she did by going for Mrs. India America, that’s something that you have to really stretch yourself to do.”

Gardner said people’s perception of her work has changed since she won her title.

“People before thought, ‘Oh, that’s cool what you’re doing. That’s great,’ and now it’s more, ‘How can I get involved?’” she said. “Which is great, I’m very excited to see that.”

Gardner said the title allows her to reach a larger audience.

“I hope with the title I can inspire and motivate other people to also volunteer their time and money to help their community.”

Reach the reporter at salvador.rodriguez@asu.edu.