Miss Hawaii USA Savannah Gankiewicz Reflects on Her First Day on the Job: ‘I Had So Many Emotions’
Written by Rtradio on May 20, 2024
The newly-crowned Miss USA, Savannah Gankiewicz, is getting to work.
After taking over the title from resigned pageant queen, Noelia Voigt, Gankiewicz shared an update from her first day on the job on Sunday, visiting Maui in her home state of Hawaii for an update on rebuilding efforts following last year’s devastating wildfires. In a post on Instagram, the 28-year-old newly-crowned pageant queen offered an inspirational update from the scene.
“I had so many emotions driving through seeing the loss of peoples’ homes, businesses, and when I saw the Banyan Tree a place I played under as a child,” she captioned a carousel of photos from her day. “As you all may know I represented the Banyan Tree for my National Costume. Seeing it in real life and the signs of growth and greenery, shows that through chaos and sadness Maui will persevere and come out strong at the end. We have such a beautiful community of support and it was nice to be home and connect with everyone.”
Gankiewicz said that she spent less than 24 hours on the island and that she used her time there to “connect with residents and hear what they need from me and what I can do to help.” She said that she also went on a tour to see the steps county officials are currently taking to rebuild the burn zone.
The model and activist was officially crowned 2023’s Miss USA on Wednesday in a low-key ceremony in Waikiki after Voight announced her resignation as Miss USA earlier this month.
During her ceremony, Gankiewicz humbly accepted the crown and sash before taking to the stand to share words with those in attendance — including her friends, family members and community — who she says she is striving to make proud in this new role.
“I am so shocked right now and I’m just so tremendously grateful,” Ganziewicz said. “While this decision was not made lightly, I firmly believe that this opportunity was meant for me and I’m ready to make a positive impact with this organization that I hold dear to my heart.”
She continued, “As I embark on this unique reign, I am dedicated to taking action and making a difference.”
Just two days after Voigt’s resignation, Miss Teen USA, UmaSofia Srivastava, similarly shared that she would be relinquishing her crown, stating, “my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”
The Miss Teen USA runner-up, Stephanie Skinner, has also declined taking on the title.
The ceremony and pageantry followed an appearance by the mothers of Voigt and Srivastava on Good Morning America where they discussed the alleged mistreatment of their daughters, which they claim led to their girls stepping down.
“The job of their dreams turned out to be a nightmare,” Barbara Srivastava told GMA. “We could not continue this charade. The girls decided to step down, give up their dream of a lifetime, their crown, a national title, why would two girls decide to give that up?”
Both women said NDAs in their daughters’ contracts prevent them from directly speaking out about the “abuse” they endured while holding the titles.
In a resignation letter to the Miss USA organization, Noelia wrote, “There is a toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization that, at best, is poor management and, at worst, is bullying and harassment… I was made to feel unsafe at events without an effective handler, and this culminated in being sexually harassed.”
The Miss USA organization said in a statement, “The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority.”
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