Kihei native Savannah Gankiewicz was crowned Miss USA 2023 at a special coronation ceremony Wednesday, amid controversy surrounding the Miss USA organization after both the former Miss USA 2023 and former Miss Teen USA 2023 resigned last week.
Gankiewicz, who is of Filipino, Polish and Vietnamese descent, was the first runner-up in the Miss USA 2023 pageant held in Reno, Nev., last September. Her coronation comes just over a week after former Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt resigned, citing mental health struggles.
“While this decision was not made lightly, I firmly believe that this opportunity was meant for me and I am ready to make a positive impact with this organization that I hold dear to my heart,” Gankiewicz said at the ceremony.
A model, entrepreneur and certified mental health first aid responder, Gankiewicz is the youth program director at What Makes You Feel Beautiful, a Maui-based nonprofit focused on self-love for girls and women, and facilitates the “F.L.Y. First Love Yourself” program, which empowers young women to develop self-love and confidence.
Gankiewicz is the fifth Miss Hawaii USA to hold the Miss USA title in the pageant’s 72-year history. She is also the first contestant from Maui to earn the Miss Hawaii USA title in more than 20 years.
“It’s particularly poignant that we get to honor this Miss USA from Maui. That’s an extraordinary thing. As a representative of our state, Savannah has honorably served our community especially on Maui, which has held a special place in our hearts this past year,” Gov. Josh Green said at the ceremony. “During her reign, Savannah will continue to serve as a symbol of resilience and hope for the people of Hawaii and America.”
Gankiewicz’s coronation ceremony was the first of its kind, and celebrated her local heritage with hula performances and Hawaiian music.
“What we in Hawaii do best is show aloha. We share a bit of our culture, and we take it with us wherever we go,” said Alicia Michioka, executive director of the Miss Hawaii USA pageant. “As Savannah embarks on this incredible journey, we want to send her with love and aloha and show her how much support she has here in our own state.”
Miss USA Organization CEO and President Laylah Rose, who flew in from Florida to attend the coronation ceremony, said the brand’s goal is to “highlight the amazing ladies and their passion projects,” and honoring Gankiewicz with the title aligned with those intentions.
“When I flew in, I felt the ohana that you hear about and the ohana that you see and read about, and it’s a parallel with Savannah and how she radiates that beauty from inside out,” Rose told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “It’s apparent that she gets it from her culture, her family and all of the things that Hawaii brings.”
Naming and crowning a new Miss USA titleholder is unprecedented, as no woman holding the Miss USA title has ever voluntarily resigned before.
