Page 17 - MidWeek - March 22, 2023

MARCH 22, 2023 MIDWEEK 17
Sims-Tulba: A B.R.A.V.E. Life Dedicated To Helping Others
FROM PAGE 16
said directly to me and also said indirectly ... and ru- mors were spread,” explains Sims-Tulba. “They’d tell me, ‘You’re not pretty enough to be in a pageant. You’re not smart enough to be in a pag- eant. You’re too fat to be in a pageant.’
(Far left) Mahealani Sims-Tulba reads excerpts from her children’s book It’s Okay To Be Different to a youngster; (center) appearing with Grace Kennedy, at left, at the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards; (right) holding court with Miss American Scholar queens at a B.R.A.V.E. Hawai‘i community activity. PHOTOS COURTESY MAHEALANI SIMSTULBA
“It was a lot harder as a child because you don’t really expect your best friend to do that to you, let alone gather up all her other friends and have them all gang up on you over something that has nothing to do with them.”
It’s said that time heals all wounds, but in Sims-Tulba’s case, the emotional trauma and resulting scars still seem fresh.
the community-service based organization Miss American Scholar, the highly decorat- ed young adult has walked off with her share of crowns, including being named 2020 Miss Aloha Latina, 2016 Miss Hawai‘i US Jr. Teen and 2014 Miss Jr. T.E.E.N. Hawai‘i.
my whole life and I come from a pretty fortunate fam- ily, so I’ve never seen people living like that before,” she says about her first experience of feeding and interacting with the homeless. “I mean this is kind of embarrass- ing, but I didn’t even know public school was free until I was like 12. I grew up very fortunate and seeing people (struggle) really affected me, and made me want to dedi- cate my life to helping.”
this year or by the begin- ning of next year,” she notes. “We’re still working on it. We’re trying to go in a more K-pop-inspired direction.
For Sims-Tulba, the oppor- tunity to continue growing her nonprofit while staying true to her life’s calling is all rather satisfying.
The insults had a noticeable impact on Sims-Tulba. Her smile disappeared. Her grades dropped. She stopped partic- ipating in activities she once loved to do. She even with- drew from loved ones while sinking deeper into despair.
“Those things, yeah, they were said to me when I was 10 years old, but they don’t just go away. It sticks with you,” she explains. “Some- times you look in the mirror and you hear those things that were said to you ... that creeping voice in your head that’s telling you, ‘Well, may- be they were right,’ and it just puts you in a bad mood.”
“It’s going to be very ex- citing.”
“We started off really small, so there’s a lot to be proud of. A lot of it has been just me, my mom and my dad. We’re the backbone of B.R.A.V.E.,” she mentions. “But there’s been so many other people who have come along the way and we’ve been able to really have great supporters that we’ re really thankful for.
“I was that kid who was afraid to speak up. I didn’t tell my parents when I got bullied; I kept it quiet from them for a long time,” she remembers. “But I’ m really fortunate that my mom (Kim- berly) was able to catch it and notice that things were not right with me. She was insis- tent and persistent enough to keep pestering me about it.”
D
ry career, Sims-Tulba has actually found success with- in the community over the years. Aside from creating
Along the way, she’s also been honored with The Diana Award, named after Princess Diana and given to an out- standing youth who helps im- prove the lives of others. This recognition was undoubtedly based in part on her previous work with the homeless in Kaka‘ako. She says that pro- viding such service afforded her greater perspective on how others cope each day.
Beyond the pageants, Sims-Tulba finds time to dab- ble in another passion of hers: music. Several years ago, the gifted singer dropped the sin- gle Let Me Down Easy, and promises to release an EP in the near future.
Just as thrilling will be where she leads her organi- zation in the months ahead. On the horizon is the cre- ation of B.R.A.V.E. Hawai‘i Leadership Academy, an after-school mentoring pro- gram “where we help build the leaders of tomorrow,” as well as the launch of the B.R.A.V.E. Hawai‘i Kids Award, a monthly honor that recognizes and rewards an in- dividual or organization with a cash scholarship for exem- plary work performed in the community.
espite the less-than-auspicious start to her pageant-
“I’m just really proud of the family we’ ve been able to create. All of us have one goal, and our goal is to give back and make a difference. I’m proud to say we’ve been able to do that.”
“I went to private school
“It will either be out later
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