Ready or not America , Nina Davuluri is the new girl next door . That 's how the 24-year-old Indian-American woman sees herself , she explained to CNN 's Erin Burnett on Wednesday , three days after being crowned Miss America . `` I have always viewed Miss America as the girl next door , '' Davuluri said . `` But the girl next door is evolving , as the diversity of America evolves . She 's not who she was 10 years ago , and she 's not going to be the same person come 10 years down the road . '' The fact that her win Sunday spurred a torrent of racist reactions online -- many along the lines that she does n't represent what the United States is -- did n't surprise Davuluri . She 'd experienced it on a smaller scale when she became the first Miss New York of Indian descent . Davuluri sees it as her mission to tackle such stereotypes head on . It 's why the daughter of two Indian-born parents has a pageant platform of `` celebrating diversity through cultural competence . '' `` I wanted to be the first Indian Miss America , to be that symbol of a new face for the organization , '' she said Wednesday . `` And to let younger girls know that regardless of race , their socioeconomic status , their religion that anyone can become not only Miss America , but anything . '' Still , it would be understandable if Davuluri was taken aback by tweets claiming she was n't sufficiently American or was a terrorist . Yet she 's been more heartened by all those that rallied around her . `` For one negative tweet , I received dozens of positive tweets and support from not only Indians , but the American people across the country and ... the world for that matter , '' the Fayetteville , New York , native said . `` It 's been such an honor . '' And while some criticize the pageant circuit for putting looks above all else , Davuluri said she 's thankful it helped her earn $ 25,000 in scholarships to study cognitive science at the University of Michigan . She will have another $ 60,000 to apply to her medical school tuition -- $ 50,000 from her Miss America win and $ 10,000 from Miss New York . This is all part of the more than $ 45 million in cash and scholarships the pageant organization gives out . Yes , Davuluri admits , good looks are a part of the equation . Contestants do strut around in swimsuits , after all , and they are judged as they walk in evening gowns . Davuluri says `` that 's reality , '' as is the 10-minute interview with judges that people do n't see on TV . And Davuluri could n't be happier with the reality she 's now living -- as a groundbreaker , and a talking point , in a country addressing its cultural diversity . As she says : `` I am living my American dream . '' Miss America , Julie Chen and the beauty of choice . Opinion : A thank-you note to a new kind of Miss America .
Nina Davuluri , a first generation Indian-American , was crowned Miss America . Some reacted on Twitter by calling her not sufficiently American or a terrorist . She says her win shows how what defines `` the girl next door '' is evolving . `` I am living my American dream , '' Davuluri says .