Page 17 - MidWeek - Dec 1, 2021

DECEMBER 1, 2021 MIDWEEK 1724
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.
takes place in Uncasville, Connecti- cut, Choy will compete against 50 like-minded and accomplished young women in an array of catego- ries — but that’s not how she sees it.
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 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
“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.
Miss Hawai‘i 2021 Courtney Choy gives props to her parents for her work ethic and positive attitude. PHOTO COURTESY JON FUJIWARA
“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.
“The history of Miss America ... didn’t always recognize that diver- sity,” she continues. “And, to bring the legacy of the Miss Hawai‘i sis-
SEE PAGE 24