| Subject: Miss Hawaii USA 2013 |
Author:
Rogue
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Date Posted: 07:53:40 05/14/13 Tue
Very interesting article about Miss Hawaii USA 2013, Brianna Acosta.
 
Acosta with her family: parents Rick and Regina, and brothers Joshua and Noah
Born to Wear a Crown
Miss Hawaii USA Brianna Acosta is beautiful, smart, athletic. But she also has a secret for MidWeek readers as she prepares to compete for Miss USA: ‘I’m a robotics nerd.’
Princess crowns are a common play accessory for young girls, but for grade-school student Brianna Acosta, wearing a crown became an impassioned goal. Not just any crown – the Miss Universe crown.
“Ever since I was little, I would watch Miss USA and Miss Universe on TV with my mom,” says Acosta. “We’d pick our favorite contestants, and I always told myself that one day that was going to be me.”
She meant it.
At 14, she went to Miss Hawaii USA executive directors Takeo Kobayashi and Eric Chandler, who encouraged her to compete in the teen pageant. Acosta’s experience running in Miss Teen USA three times, placing as fourth runner-up the first year, then first runner-up the next two years, prepared her for an even loftier goal: the Miss Hawaii USA pageant. She entered last year and won. Now 21, Acosta is getting ready to head to Las Vegas, where she’ll compete for the Miss USA title June 16 at Planet Hollywood (watch it live on NBC).
Being onstage and in the public eye suits Acosta swimmingly, and all 5 feet, 10 inches of her – add another 8 inches or so if she’s in her crown and heals – turns heads in any room she enters. But this wahine isn’t all glamour queen. She exudes a contemporary flair that’s confident, competitive, hardy. Born on Oahu’s North Shore in Waialua, she was a standout athlete and young leader at Waialua High. She served as senior class president, was named female scholar athlete of the year her senior year for her prowess in soccer and volleyball, and she graduated as valedictorian. Through high school and college at the University of Hawaii at Manoa she has maintained a glistening GPA and just graduated May 11 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and a minor in political science.
“Hopefully, I get to serve as Miss USA and Miss Universe, but after my pageant life is over, my dream job would be to host a show on the Travel Channel,” she says in regard to her journalism degree. “I would love to host E! News, as well – anything in the broadcast industry.”
Travel to several countries, including the obscure village of Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina (formerly Yugoslavia), sparked her wanderlust with its vineyards and stone buildings, especially after growing up in Waialua where, she says, the farthest she might venture for a special occasion was Pearlridge. Acosta attributes much of her success to her small-town upbringing.
“The great thing about Wailaua is it’s a plantation community, so everyone is (ethnically) mixed and everything is culturally intertwined. If you won an award at school, the whole town knew about it, which gave me motivation to be successful. Waialua is very nurturing and close-knit. When I was running for Miss Hawaii USA, the town gave me the support I needed, the extra push.”
The middle child and only girl, Acosta vied for her parents’ attention through sports. “You name it, I played it,” she laughs, as she recounts the multiple broken bones she suffered while trying to keep up with the boys. When she made it to the top 10 in the Miss Hawaii USA pageant, Acosta was asked what she’d like the judges to know about her and she responded: “I am my father’s daughter.”
“I was the only girl growing up,” says Acosta, “and everyone always asked if I was a daddy’s girl. I never really was. My dad treated me like one of the boys, but later in life I realized that was a great thing that he did because it made me a strong woman.”
Acosta lists the interview portion of the competition, which also includes a fitness and evening gown segment, as one of her strong points. A second question, when she made it to the top five, prompted Acosta to describe something unique about Hawaii.
“They probably figured I’d say something about the aloha spirit, but I wanted to make sure people knew about my background with robotics,” she says.
A self-professed “robotics nerd,” Acosta valued her own experience with robotics so much that she now mentors her alma mater’s robotics team.
“Waialua Robotics won the world championships two years ago,” she notes, “and there wasn’t a lot of media attention. What I wanted people to know about Hawaii is that we have motivated students and we’re world champions.”
While Miss USA and Miss Universe support breast and ovarian cancer awareness and research and HIV/AIDS research, respectively, the contestants aren’t expected to have an individual platform that they support.
Nevertheless, Acosta’s personal cause is FIRST Robotics.
“I’ve experienced it firsthand, and it’s one of the only programs that implements all the STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and math). But it’s also more than that. It teaches literacy, business skills, public speaking … and it’s fun. It prepares students to be future leaders.”
Other interests include hula. She’s been performing from the age of 2. Her dad is a surfer, and that rubbed off on her while growing up, but lately she enjoys paddle-boarding, swimming and hiking as fun ways to spend time with friends and get exercise. Social media is another major hobby, says Acosta. Not only is it such a prominent aspect of the modern world, but it’s invaluable in the pageant world as a promotional tool.
A good chunk of Acosta’s time is spent at the gym. Even when she’s not training for the pageant, Acosta is a healthy eater, and she maintains her shape by working out a few times a week with personal trainer Matt Jones of Body Design by Matt. She does her cardio at the Punahou track, running up and down a side set of stairs between each lap.
“I was always super thin,” Acosta points out, “but when I hit puberty, I began getting very curvy. I embrace my curves, but I like to keep a slender figure. Everyone thinks I’m naturally skinny. I was, once upon a time, but I want people to know I definitely have to work to maintain my figure.”
She attributes her curves to her Latin heritage – Papa is Mexican, Mom is a “European mix” – and her radiant skin to natural products and tips from friends in the beauty industry. But her primary beauty secret is: Get enough sleep. Sticking to that advice has been a feat of its own lately, what with college graduation, a lively modeling career, attendance as a titleholder at numerous charity events and public functions, as well as preparing for a send-off party.
The send-off party is for Acosta, but this year marks another send-off, a bittersweet goodbye to Kobayashi and Chandler, who are retiring after 15 years as executive directors of the Miss Hawaii USA pageant, and many more years than that designing gowns for contestants. After battling health problems over the past couple of years, the two have deemed it time to pass the baton to the young, in the form of 2003 Miss Hawaii USA Alicia Michioka.
The two men have given of their time and finances generously, they’ve “worried for the girls, protected them when we traveled, helped them through boyfriend issues,” says Kobayashi. “We enjoyed the experience tremendously, the fabulous clothes, the fabulous people and our committee. I have good memories and treasured friends who are former title-holders. I think Miss Hawaii USA Brianna Acosta will forever be our friend, as she is sweet and honest, and her beauty comes from inside out.”
Last edited by author: Tue May 14, 2013 07:59:17
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- I'm very glad to hear this about Miss Hawaii. She is a wonderful girl. I'm not embracing the fiction at the end about Eric and Takeo. Everyone knows they were forced out and Alicia did everything she could to gain control of the franchise. Alicia has never forgiven them for how they neglected her sister when she was the state queen and put on all the weight over the stress. Eric used to call Justine, ファットビッチ. (NT) -- Pageant TruthSayer, 09:00:18 05/14/13 Tue
- Beautiful, smart and amazing young lady. Love her ! (NT) --
 Qban, 11:00:20 05/14/13 Tue
- You see gorgeous hawaiian girls all over Waikiki every single day. The reigning Miss Hawaii USA would not be in the Top 100. Better start recruiting off the street. (NT) -- james, 11:26:23 05/14/13 Tue
- I think she looks pretty! (NT) -- Blondey, 12:56:50 05/14/13 Tue
- A total no for me. (NT) -- Beauty_Critic, 20:25:07 05/14/13 Tue
- I have no doubt that she's working harder than most of the girls, that she wants this more than anything and that she'll be a fierce competitor but I still thing she lacks considerable facial beauty. She might work her way into the top 15 but no further than that (NT) -- PinkofHearts, 21:54:28 05/14/13 Tue
- I'm surprised by the comments here. I think she's smart and looks great, so I'm kind of baffled by the hateful comments here. When what I see doesn't match up with the comments I read, I usually put two and two together, and assume that the comments are coming from either a) people who feel she's a threat, or b) people she beat out. This was a very straight forward article with some nice pictures. I just don't understand the nastiness. (NT) -- Then again, I've noticed that the closer we get to Miss USA, the nastier people are getting, 22:36:47 05/14/13 Tue
- Definitely a no for me. "Spends most of her time in the gym" that's got to be a joke! (NT) -- Watcher, 23:24:14 05/14/13 Tue
- ^^^^^^^^^^ (NT) -- obviously one of the girls Brianna beat, 00:15:01 05/15/13 Wed
- I love her-- and think she will surprise.
 (NT) -- Grace_Under_Pressure, 00:26:43 05/15/13 Wed
- Brianna is beautiful AND smart, and a great competitor. I'm looking forward to cheering her on at Miss USA! (NT) -- Tiki_Java, 00:59:34 05/15/13 Wed
- The large forehead and underbite are a no for me (NT) -- Not a bubble, 01:10:40 05/15/13 Wed
- GO BRIANNA! Some of y'all are just plain wrong! (NT) -- SanFranGuy, 01:23:12 05/15/13 Wed
- while i have not immeaditely latched on to her pictures, i find hr refreshing and attractive. i like this interview, however what really stands out for me is both my boyfriend and best friend (who is a very critical dude) picked her out immeaditely in their top fives. so she has appeal. (NT) -- Jean Grey (changing from FormerClapper), 02:18:41 05/15/13 Wed
- I was so lucky to get to meet Brenna in Vegas last year and even luckier that she did my makeup for prelims! The only sad thing is I never got a photo with her :( (NT) -- oz-usb, 06:13:37 05/15/13 Wed
- Her dad's a stud! LOL But seriously, he's kind of hot. (NT) -- my type, 07:41:55 05/15/13 Wed
- GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAWAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!! (NT) -- BamaMan, 09:25:45 05/15/13 Wed
- the 2 pro shots and the one below are extremes. totally in my list if I can see her looking as close as she can to her pro shots. (NT) -- eloise, 21:04:57 05/15/13 Wed
- Brianna is perfect for Miss USA...kind, smart, beautiful and humble. Brianna, if you see this, don't worry...if the haters are talking smack about you, they're giving someone else a break. Keep your light shining bright! (NT) -- LadyLulu, 02:34:05 05/17/13 Fri
- All I can say is that I have met endless title holders in my life and Brianna is right up at the top of the list as one of the most genuine unassuming beautiful young ladies I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I got to spend a lot of time with her during my first day in a vegas last year and we even had lunch at Earl of Sandwich and I thought, "this young lady is the real deal." She was just Brianna, not "trying" to be what people thought she should be. So many times I've seen girls "act" a certain pageant way, almost as if they're always "ON" and that comes across so insincere. Not Brianna, she's the kinda girl that is beautiful inside and out and is soooo relatable, likable and just the best. I know that will shine through and hopefully the judges will see what I and so many others see in her. Best of luck to her!! (NT) -- CURLYDEWD, 02:50:17 05/17/13 Fri
- As I have written before, I also met Brianna last year and agree with the others posters that she is a sweet unassuming girl who makes anyone around her feel very comfortable. I think along with Missouri, she could be one of the surprises in Vegas. (NT) -- ureka smoke, 08:43:19 05/17/13 Fri
- miss hawaii 2013 -- Ryan B., 06:34:36 05/18/13 Sat
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