Savannah Gankiewicz Biography: After Trini Kaopuiki in 1999 and Christy Leonard in 2001, Savannah Mar’i Gankiewicz is the first Miss Hawaii USA recipient from Maui in more than two decades. She was born in Oahu and lived in Maui with her Filipina mother and in Virginia with her Polish and Vietnamese father. She moved to the Philippines at one point to compete in the Mutya Ng Pilipinas pageant, where she won the Miss Overseas Community title in 2017.
Savannah Gankiewicz Career
She is also an advocate for What Makes You Feel Beautiful, a Maui-based 501 (c)(3) organization that promotes female empowerment. Gankiewicz competed for the Miss USA crown at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada on September 29, 2023.
In an exclusive interview with Gankiewicz, she discussed Miss USA competition, her experiences as an individual of mixed ancestry, her time in the Philippines, her advocacy work, and the recent fires on her native island of Maui. This conversation has been edited for clarity and duration.
Miss Utah USA Takes the Crown: Meet Miss USA 2023
Savannah Gankiewicz: The First Miss Hawaii USA
Savannah Gankiewicz Biography: Savannah Gankiewicz, a native of Kihei, was crowned Miss Hawaii USA 2023 on 15 November 2023 and will represent Hawaii in Reno, Nevada at Miss USA 2023. Savannah, of Filipino, Polish, and Vietnamese descent, became the first champion from Maui in more than two decades.
Miss Wailea USA Savannah Gankiewicz (a.k.a. Savannah Mar’i Gankiewicz) is the 72nd Miss USA 2023 contestant and seventh entry in the Miss USA 2023 class!
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Reigning Queen Kiana Yamat Miss Hawaii USA 2022 has crowned Miss Wailea USA, Savannah Gankiewicz as Miss Hawaii USA 2023 at the conclusion of the Grand Finale in Hawaii Convention Center Honolulu on Saturday, January 15, 2023, which began at 7:00PM LIVE and In-Person Event with Khon2 TV Broadcasting. It was the initial competition of Anne JKR’s universe era.
Court of the new monarch Savannah Gankiewicz Miss Hawaii USA 2023 has four runners-up: Kawena Kan-Hai, the first runner-up of Wailuku, Breea Yamat, the second runner-up of Waialae, Mikayla Baptista, and the third runner-up of Waialae. Orchid Isle and Ronelle Valera tied for third-place finish. The fourth runner-up on the island of Hawaii.
Kristi Van Diver, Ryllah-Rae Rodrigues, Callista Hansen, Flora Rodas, Ashlyn Pierceall, and Alexandria Livermore were selected as the eleven semifinalists from the roster of twenty-five contestants.
Savannah Gankiewicz Honors
Savannah Gankiewicz Miss Hawaii USA 2023, the 72ND Miss USA 2023 Contestant, will represent her HI State at the upcoming 72ND Miss USA 2023 Pageant, where the reigning queen Morgan Romano Miss USA 2022 will crown her successor at the conclusion of the Grand Finale on Friday, September 29, 2023 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. R’Bonney Gabriel was formerly Miss Texas USA 2022 and Miss USA 2022, but she was crowned Miss Universe 2022 and passed the reign of Miss USA to Romano.
Savannah Gankiewicz is the first Miss Hawaii USA under Dr. Anne Jakrajutatip’s ownership of Miss Universe. Savannah Gankiewicz is the 72nd Miss USA 2023 Candidate and the seventh member of the Miss USA 2023 Class.
Savannah Gankiewicz, Miss Hawaii USA 2023, is a professional model, entrepreneur, and program director for Maui-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit What Makes You Feel Beautiful. As co-founder of EchoHouse, a boutique hotel scheduled to open in Bali in 2024, he is a pioneer. She is devoted to motivating young women to enter the field of entrepreneurship, encouraging them to pursue career and business opportunities and realize their full potential as multifaceted women of the twenty-first century.
Savannah, in addition to her roles as ambassador and program director for What Makes You Feel Beautiful, volunteers to facilitate the “F.L.Y. First Love Yourself” youth program, which encourages young women to develop self-love, confidence, and compassion. All of these factors contribute to a wholesome self-image.
She has been trained in youth suicide and bullying prevention by Mental Health America of Hawaii and is certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid.
