Congratulations to Hawai`i Girl Scout Hayley K. for winning the title of Miss Hawai`i Outstanding Teen 2013! We are certainly very proud of Hayley and excited to hear that her experience as a Girl Scout helped her achieve this accomplishment. She will continue on to represent Hawai`i in the Miss America Outstanding Teen Pageant in Orlando, Florida, from August 9 to 18, 2013.
Miss Hawai`i Outstanding Teen is the sister program to the Miss Hawai`i Scholarship Pageant, which falls under the Miss America system–the largest scholarship donor to women aged 17 to 24 in the world. In Hawai`i alone, the Miss Hawai`i Organization makes over one million dollars in scholarship funds available each year.
Young women between the ages of 13 and 17 years are eligible to participate in the Miss Hawai`i Outstanding Teen pageant. For two months girls must go through weekly training sessions where they learn interviewing skills, stage presence, posture, talent and presentation skills. Like the Girl Scouts, the Miss Hawai`i Outstanding Teen program is aimed at developing the “whole person” by giving young women a forum to express their personal viewpoints, talents and accomplishments. A private interview, talent and scholastic achievement are just a few of the categories evaluated during the competition.
For Hayley’s on-stage question, she was asked to explain the most important thing that the Girl Scouts has done for her. She responded by saying that the Girl Scouts has helped to shape her into the confident, independent young woman she is today:
My plan, if I should win, is to demonstrate that Girl Scouts boosts confidence, builds leadership and gives direction. Young girls will see that Miss Hawai`i’s Outstanding Teen is a Girl Scout and proud one of it! My confidence and pride of being a Girl Scout should lift spirits and encourage young girls to join. Also, showing the benefits and different correlations that the Girl Scout organization has to the Miss Outstanding Teen organization under Miss America Organization. It provides a forum for young women to express their viewpoints, talents and accomplishments. This is exactly what Girl Scouting does for every girl and really, being Miss Hawai`i’s Outstanding Teen and being a Girl Scout aren’t so different. As a community, we need to take action. As Miss Hawai`i’s Outstanding Teen I’m excited to encourage girls to be a part of this worldwide organization that many women leaders have come from. I want to change the mindset of young teens today so that we can have a better tomorrow.
Congratulations on your wonderful achievement, Hayley, and good luck in the competition in August!
May 14, 2013
