{"id":199687,"date":"2024-06-21T09:19:12","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T19:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=199687"},"modified":"2024-07-17T08:46:56","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T18:46:56","slug":"miss-hawaii-teen-volunteer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/06\/21\/miss-hawaii-teen-volunteer\/","title":{"rendered":"Miss Hawai\u02bbi Teen Volunteer developed platform at UH<\/abbr> West O\u02bbahu"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span> senior Emalia Pomaialoha Dalire was crowned Miss Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Teen Volunteer in December. (Image courtesy of Mark Salondaka)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Miss Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Teen Volunteer 2024, University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2013West Oʻahu<\/span> student Emalia Pomaialoha Dalire encourages youth to be the best version of themselves\u2014that if they know who they are and where they come from, they will have the confidence to achieve anything.<\/p>\n

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Dalire, far left, and Kinsler with Miss Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Volunteer directors Larry Nakano and Tony Alcosiba. (Image courtesy of Mark Salondaka)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 18-year-old Kāneʻohe<\/span> resident was crowned by the Miss Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Volunteer scholarship program<\/a> in December 2023. Dalire has been dancing hula since she was two in her family\u2019s hālau, Keolalaulani Hālau ʻOlapa<\/span> O Laka. She is the daughter of Miss Aloha Hula 1999, Kumu Hula Keolalaulani Dalire, and granddaughter of the first and only Miss Hula, Aloha Dalire.<\/p>\n

“I was inspired to run for Miss Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Teen Volunteer because of my haumana (students) at my hālau,” Dalire said. “Working with hundreds of kids in and out of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, my greatest joy comes from witnessing these children grow into distinguished individuals through their culture. Having a front-row seat to their learning and growth showed me that I have the power to make a difference, not just in my classroom but also in my community.”<\/p>\n