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Savannah Gankiewicz
Gankiewicz in 2023
Born
Savannah Marʻi Gankiewicz

(1995-11-28) November 28, 1995 (age 28)
Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.
EducationGeorge Mason University
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title
Major
competition(s)

Savannah Marʻi Gankiewicz (born November 28, 1995) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2023. Gankiewicz is the fifth woman from Hawaii to be crowned Miss USA.

Previously crowned Miss Hawaii USA 2023, Gankiewicz was the first runner-up at Miss USA, and received the title after its original winner Noelia Voigt resigned in May 2024.[1]

Early life and education

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Gankiewicz was born on November 28, 1995, on Oahu to parents Yvienne Tagorda Peterson and Mark Gankiewicz; her mother is from Maui and of Filipina descent, while her father is of Polish and Vietnamese descent.[1][2][3][4] Her mother had a background in pageantry, having been crowned Mrs. Maui and serving as a director for the Miss Maui Filipina pageant.[1][3] Gankiewicz spent the first six years of her life with her family on Maui, and later lived between Maui and Stephenson, Virginia, where her father relocated.[5][3]

Gankiewicz was educated in Virginia, attending Sherando High School in Frederick County, Virginia and George Mason University in Fairfax County, Virginia.[3][2] She later returned to Hawaii at age 21, settling in Kihei, Hawaii on Maui, where she began working as a professional model and a marketing coordinator at The Agency Maui.[3][5]

Pageantry

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Gankiewicz moved to the Philippines to model and competed in Mutya ng Pilipinas 2017, where she was a finalist and received the title of Mutya ng Pilipinas Overseas Filipino Communities for representing the Filipino-Hawaiian community.[3][1][6] Following the pageant, she continued to live in the Philippines to work as a model for over a year.[1]

Gankiewicz entered and won Miss Hawaii USA 2023, competing as Miss Wailea. She was also awarded Miss Photogenic.[3] Aged 27 at the time of her win, Gankiewicz opted to compete in her final year of age eligibility as she had wanted to wait until she felt ready for the responsibilities of being a state titleholder.[2] With her win, Gankiewicz became the first woman from Maui to be crowned Miss Hawaii USA in over 20 years.[2][1][7]

Miss USA 2023

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Main article: Miss USA 2023

As Miss Hawaii USA, Gankiewicz entered Miss USA 2023. The competition was held on September 29, 2023, in Reno, Nevada and aired on The CW.[8][9] During the state costume portion of the pageant, Gankiewicz wore a costume paying tribute to the victims of the 2023 wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii on her home island of Maui, for which she won the Best State Costume award.[10][11][5] Gankiewicz was the first runner-up in the competition, behind winner Noelia Voigt of Utah, and additionally won the Best in Interview award.[12][13][14][15] Gankiewicz later crowned Breea Yamat as her successor at the Miss Hawaii USA 2024 pageant in April 2024.[15]

In May 2024, Voigt announced that she was resigning her title as Miss USA, citing her struggles with mental health.[16][17][18] Later that day, it was reported in the Hawaiian media that Gankiewicz had been asked to take over the Miss USA title.[19][20] Due to pageant protocol, the first runner-up is asked to step in to fulfill the duties of Miss USA should the winner be unable to, and on May 9, it was announced that Gankiewicz would assume the title of Miss USA 2023.[21][22][23][24][25][26] Gankiewicz was later officially crowned as Miss USA 2023 by Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, in a ceremony held on May 15 in the neighborhood of Waikiki in Honolulu.[27][28][29] Following this, she became the fifth woman from Hawaii to be crowned Miss USA.[30]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Agustin, Carl Martin (August 23, 2023). "Miss Hawaii USA Savannah Mar'i Gankiewicz Places Self-Love Above All Else". Lifestyle.
  2. ^ a b c d Osher, Wendy (January 18, 2023). "Maui duo crowned: Savannah Gankiewicz named Miss Hawaii USA, Noelani DeNisi earns Miss Hawaii Teen USA title". Maui Now.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Evangelista, Alfredo G. (February 25, 2023). "Savannah Gankiewicz: A Filipina's Journey as the newly crowned Miss Hawai'i USA". FilAm Voice Maui.
  4. ^ Savannah Gankiewicz [@savannahmarai] (November 28, 2023). "Memories from the best weekend!" – via Instagram.
  5. ^ a b c "Maui native represented Hawaii at Miss USA, winning 1st place for an outfit honoring Lahaina". Hawaii News Now. October 16, 2024.
  6. ^ Adina, Armin P. (September 30, 2023). "Mutya ng Pilipinas is Miss USA first runner-up". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  7. ^ "Coming home with crowns". The Maui News. January 18, 2023.
  8. ^ Konstantinides, Anneta (September 27, 2023). "How you can watch the Miss USA 2023 pageant from home". Business Insider.
  9. ^ Vulpo, Mike; Sobol, Beth (July 15, 2022). "How the Miss USA 2022 Pageant Will Honor Cheslie Kryst After Her Death". E! Online.
  10. ^ ʻUfi, Elizabeth (September 29, 2023). "Miss Hawaii USA wins best costume representing Lahaina banyan tree". KHON2.
  11. ^ "Miss Hawaii USA wins on national stage for costume inspired by Lahaina banyan tree". Hawaii News Now. September 28, 2023.
  12. ^ Rees, Alex (September 30, 2023). "Miss USA 2023: Noelia Voigt of USA wins pageant". CNN. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  13. ^ Botelho, Renan (September 30, 2023). "Miss USA 2023: All the Evening Gowns, Swimsuits and Finals Looks". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  14. ^ Rees, Alex (November 10, 2023). "Utah's Noelia Voigt crowned Miss USA 2023". KSL-TV.
  15. ^ a b Lopez, Lucy (April 19, 2024). "Our new Miss Hawaii USA 2024 is…". KHON2.
  16. ^ Jensen, Erin (May 6, 2024). "Miss USA Noelia Voigt makes 'tough decision' to step down. Read her full statement". USA Today.
  17. ^ Gore, Leada (May 6, 2024). "Miss USA Noelia Voigt steps down, relinquishes title". al.com.
  18. ^ Wood, Becca (May 6, 2024). "Miss USA 2023 announces she's resigning from title for her mental health: 'This may come as a large shock'". Today.
  19. ^ ʻUfi, Elizabeth (May 6, 2024). "Miss Hawaii USA offered Miss USA crown after titleholder stepped down". KHON2.
  20. ^ "Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz offered Miss USA title after 2023 winner resigns". KITV. May 6, 2024.
  21. ^ "The Miss USA Organization is thrilled to announce that Miss Hawaii USA Savannah Gankiewicz is Miss USA 2023. She will be crowned in her native state of Hawaii in a celebratory coronation on Wednesday, May 15". Miss USA. May 9, 2024.
  22. ^ ʻUfi, Elizabeth (May 9, 2024). "Miss Hawaii USA 2023 to be crowned as Miss USA". KHON2.
  23. ^ "Miss Hawaii 2023 named Miss USA after current titleholder relinquishes crown". Hawaii News Now. May 9, 2024.
  24. ^ Osher, Wendy (May 9, 2024). "Maui's Savannah Gankiewicz to be crowned Miss USA 2023 after titleholder resigns". Maui Now.
  25. ^ Konstantinides, Anneta; Grindell, Samantha (May 9, 2024). "Miss Hawaii is taking over as Miss USA following Noelia Voigt's historic resignation". Business Insider.
  26. ^ "Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz Named Miss USA 2023 After Noelia Voigt Resignation: 'I Accept the Crown'". Peoplemag. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  27. ^ Sloop, Hope (May 15, 2024). "Savannah Gankiewicz Is Crowned Miss USA, Says She Didn't Accept Job 'Lightly' After Noelia Voigt's Resignation". Entertainment Tonight.
  28. ^ Palumbo, Jacqui; Choi, Christy (May 15, 2024). "New Miss USA crowned amid ongoing turmoil at pageant". CNN.
  29. ^ "Hawaii native Savannah Gankiewicz crowned Miss USA after the previous winner resigned". ABC News. May 16, 2024.
  30. ^ Yamamoto, Kacie (May 15, 2024). "Maui native crowned new Miss USA following pageant controversy". Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss USA
2023 		Succeeded by
Alma Cooper, Michigan
Preceded by
Kiana Yamat
 Miss Hawaii USA
2023 		Succeeded by
Breea Yamat
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