MISS NEW JERSEY USA

In between events and appearances, Lakhman can be found hanging out in Hoboken. Her favorite spot is Project Sculpt, a gym she’s been attending since she first moved here during the pandemic era when fitness classes were outdoors. “You honestly see incredible results. I even converted my boyfriend to being a full-time member there.”

What’s Next

She also loves Studio L, a dance school in the Monroe Center. “I owe a lot of my pageantry success to them because I used to practice my walking in that studio all the time.”

Now, Lakhman gets to take a break from the pageant preparations and enjoy her reign. “Anytime I get a little bit of downtime is when I just soak it in. It’s so surreal,” she says, relaxing for a moment but not for too long.

Next up is the Miss USA pageant. That means Lakhman begins working with a trainer, a nutritionist, and a pageant coach. There’s a wardrob to plan. Her favorite part is practicing for interview questions at Miss Academy, a pageant school founded by the president of the Miss USA Foundation.

“You learn a lot about yourself,” she explains. “You get to discover things about yourself that you didn’t know. In order to answer any questions that they may ask you, you really need to know yourself.”

Lakhman wants to bring an even bigger crown back to Hoboken, one that has never been won for this state within the 70-year history of the pageant.

“I’m representing New Jersey, so I want to make New Jersey proud,” Lakhman says. “I want to be the best that I can be and bring the title of Miss New Jersey USA to New Jersey for the first time.”—07030