Teen pageant contestant Hulali Brown had to learn to walk in heels and put on makeup just for the event.
"You’d never catch me wearing a dress," said the 17-year-old high school student from Waiehu, Maui.
A quick study, Brown ended up winning the Miss Hawaii’s Outstanding Teen 2012 crown and an opportunity to compete at Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday through Saturday.
The competition, referred to as the "little sister" competition to Miss America, promotes scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement. Contestants are judged on a personal interview, talent, evening wear, fitness and their response to an onstage question.
"I’m coming in with a fresh pair of eyes and a brand-new pair of heels," Brown said. "This is only my second pageant. Some of these girls have been doing this since they were babies."
Brown said she decided to try out for the state pageant to earn the scholarship money. "College is so expensive. I didn’t want to burden my parents and can’t afford to pay for it myself. I’m not athletic and into sports, and I’m not a brainiac," she said.
A student at Kamehameha Schools on Maui, she hopes to pursue a career as an invasive species specialist and has interned with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Learning to juggle her responsibilities while participating in pageants is definitely a struggle, according to Brown. "We really have to balance a social life, school and pageantry," she said.
Brown traveled to Oahu for pageant training over a three-month period prior to participating in the state competition at the Hawai‘i Convention Center in April.
"Every weekend I’d catch a plane to Oahu. I was living out of a suitcase. It was hard not being able to hang out with friends on the weekend," she said.
Preparation for the national pageant has additional demands. "I’ve been preparing all summer. I’ve made changes to my diet so I can keep myself in shape. No junk food is allowed since I need to maintain stamina during my hula practices," she said. "I’ve had to keep up on current events. I’ve been reading everything and watching the news."
Brown will perform hula as her talent, dancing to a Keali‘i Reichel medley, "Malie’s Song/Hawaiian Lullaby." She wanted something with both English and Hawaiian lyrics.
She has danced hula since she was 6 years old and represents an array of cultures since her heritage includes Hawaiian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, German, Irish and French blood.
The interview portion of the national pageant is the most important in scoring terms, and is the area in which Brown feels most comfortable.
"We only have 10 minutes with the judges. It sounds like a long time, but it’s not — I wish it was at least 20 minutes. You need to get the judges to like you, to remember you."
During the local pageant, the judges appreciated her honesty and direct approach when answering questions, she said.
"I always stick to one answer and maintain my opinion instead of telling them what they want to hear," Brown said.
She will be competing against 52 other girls. "I have no expectations. I’m just ready to give it," she said. "I need to stick out like a sore thumb."
