At the beginning of my journey in pageantry, the question that stumped me the most was “What is your advocacy?”

I honestly did not understand what that meant. The idea of advocating for a cause when I couldn’t even advocate for myself was a realization that brought me to realize that I had more to explore and learn about myself than I thought.

As I continued to explore my identity, I realized that it required me to revisit wounds that I never knew I had. I realized that my subconscious feelings of shame towards my cultural identity were what prevented me from knowing what my true purpose was.

Since then, I dove deep into learning more about my culture and realized that the main reason why I was ashamed was because I tried so hard to fit myself into different molds of what was expected of me— as a Filipino and as an American living in Hawai’i. The struggle of trying to fit in while also respecting cultural values burned me out, until I no longer felt that my roots had a purpose to who I was.

But through pageantry, it ignited a spark inside of me to learn more about who I am. I now find myself advocating for youth to explore their cultural identities as well—so that they, too, can lead their lives with pride and appreciation, rather than shame and resentment. After receiving my B.S. in Human Development Family Studies and my B.A. in Philippine Language and Culture, I realized that the most significant answer I can find to help our next generation of Filipinos is through education.

As I complete my M.A. in Communicology, I have led research projects that focus on Filipino communities, particularly examining how intergenerational and intercultural communication is utilized within these communities. In doing so, I hope to provide relevant research to these respectful fields, while also contributing to research and literature on the Filipinos in Hawai’i. Our people are worth understanding, and I am dedicated to learning more about how we can heal as families and communities.

On top of my education, I currently serve as the chairperson of the O’ahu Filipino Community Council (OFCC) Youth Task Force Committee. I hope to empower our next generation of leaders by providing them with college and career opportunities that can set them up to lead our communities with success.

As your Miss Universe Philippines Hawai’i, I hope to continue to uplift our youth in Hawai’i and the Philippines. I am currently raising funds to not only support my living expenses while in the Philippines for 6 months, but also to promote my advocacy for investing in our youth and empowering them to achieve success through their cultural identities.

Please join me in my advocacy to provide college and career opportunities for the youth: A percentage of all the money I fundraise will go towards scholarships to students in the Philippines, and all exceeding profits from my GoFundMe goal will be donated to OFCC’s Youth Task Force committee.