Page 4 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - Dec 8, 2021

4 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK DECEMBER 8, 2021
STORY BY GINGER KELLER PHOTO BY LAWRENCE TABUDLO
After being crowned Miss Hawai‘i and graduating law school in the same weekend, Miss America-hopeful Courtney Choy is determined to make this year one for the books.
When Courtney Choy was crowned Miss Hawaiʻi back in May, all she re- members is scanning the audience for her parents and the fact that she was crying uncontrollably (“They tell you not to cry your ugly cry, but I couldn’t help it!”). With remnants of hairspray and mascara from the night before, Choy graduated cum laude from University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law the very next morning.
like-minded and accomplished young women in an array of catego- ries — but that’s not how she sees it.
prior (1920) that women won the right to vote, which furthered the crack in the door for them to prac- tice law, as well.
Two monumental milestones jam-packed into one weekend can only prepare the 25-year-old for what’s to come: The opportunity to be named the 100th Miss America. At the Dec. 16 competition, which takes place in Uncasville, Connecti- cut, Choy will compete against 50
“I’m just happy to be there and to be a part of 100 years of women empowerment, service and leader- ship.”
“I want the modern woman to be reflected in who Miss America is. Being a multi-ethnic individual my- self, being someone who graduated law school and being from the most diverse state in the country is so powerful for me because those are the things our country needs more than ever; to recognize how beau- tiful and special it is to be uniquely you,” she says.
Miss Hawai‘i 2021 Courtney Choy gives props to her parents for her work ethic and positive attitude. PHOTO COURTESY JON FUJIWARA
“I just want to be with my Miss America sisters because there’s no other bond that you can find. There’s a statistic that you’re less likely to have a daughter compete at Miss America than you are to have a son in the Super Bowl, so I think that’s pretty cool that I can be a part of that statistic now,” she says with a laugh.
So, for Choy, it’s much more than just another accolade and a tiara. She feels — and welcomes — the weight of representation on her shoulders.
The United States looked a whole lot different a century ago when the first Miss America pageant was held. In fact, it was only the year
“The history of Miss America
... didn’t always recognize that diversity,” she continues. “And, to bring the legacy of the Miss Ha- wai‘i sisterhood into who I am and representing that 100 years is really special, too. I’m not just represent-
ing myself, but the women who held the title before me. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the dynamics of that. It’s sad that we fight for the same things we were
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