Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 8, 1 August 2008 — Crowning achievement [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Crowning achievement

Miss Hawai'i Nieole Fox wears her Hawaiian culture on her sleeve, even while growing up on the continent

By ī. Ilihia Giansan Publicatians Editur Although she was born and raised in Santa Clara, California, Hawaiian eulture has always been a big part of Nieole Ka'ih Fox's iife. Hula has been Fox's constant hnk to her eulture, from chhdhood through college and beyond. It has stayed with her from California, in her studies and volunteer work around the world, and on stage at the Neal Blaisdell Center on Iuly 1 1 when Fox took the title of Miss Hawai'i 2008. Fox added the Miss Hawai'i sash to her eolleehon, whieh aheady included Miss Island O'ahu 2008, Miss San Iose 2007, and Miss Santa Clara 2006. For the talent portion of the Miss Hawai'i eompetition, she danced to Keali'i

Reichel's rendition of Mālie's Song/Hawaiian LuIIaby. "I picked that song because all dancers know that when you connect to the song it strangthens the emotions you pull out of the dance. This is a plaee where I chose to live because I love it," Fox said. Fox began dancing hula with her mo ther at the age of 5, for Hula Hālau O Pi'ilani in Santa Clara. "The Bay Area has a pretty big Pacific islander populahon, so it was easy for us to embrace the eulture," she said. When Fox's younger sister was born, she too joined the hālau, and her father took Hawaiian language lessons. "A lot of (my father's) speaking Hawaiian to us was when he didn't want others to know what we were talking about, and a lot of ordering my sister and me around!"

Fox danced for Hula Hālau O Pi'ilani until she moved to Hawai'i. Hula Hālau O Kamuela is Fox's new hula home, and she also dances professionally with a eouple of production companies. "I think that we have a responsibility to preserve the rich traditions of our heritage," Fox said. Education has always been important to Fox, and she carries this belief into her Miss Hawai'i platfonn. "Education is really the basis for everything in life, and I want to promote educational achievement in kids. The target age for guidance counselors is high school, but by high school, kids have already developed study habits, etc. I'd like that to start at an earlier age, so kids eome into high school more prepared to look at the next step." Even with her two bachelor's degrees in cultural anthropology and business management, Fox plans on returning to school using the scholarships that she won at the Miss Hawai'i pageant. Before she seeks teaching credentials, Fox would like to further her studies in Hawaiian

language and culture. "You should never stop learning," she said. So, what's next for Miss Hawai'i? Before the Miss America 2009 pageant in Las Vegas on

lan. 24, Fox and her fellow 51 competitors will live under one roof for eight weeks as part of a reality show called Miss America: Reality Check. Stay tuned! □

Miss Hawūi'i 2008 Nieole Ko'ili Fox will compete in the Miss America pagent Jan. 24 in Las Vegas. - Photo: ī. Ilihia Gionson