{"id":218402,"date":"2025-07-08T10:17:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T20:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=218402"},"modified":"2025-07-08T10:17:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T20:17:53","slug":"uh-ctahr-alumna-pageant-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/08\/uh-ctahr-alumna-pageant-success\/","title":{"rendered":"From soil to crown: UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa alumna digs deep for pageant success"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"India
India Ching with her parents<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa alumna India Kawelolani Calso Ching is blending soil science with cultural pride as the newly crowned Miss Oʻahu<\/span> Filipina. Her journey from studying soil health at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience<\/a> to earning this year\u2019s Miss Oʻahu<\/span> Filipina title is a study in personal growth and community.<\/p>\n

Ching majored in natural resources and environmental management at CTAHR<\/abbr>, with a focus in plant conservation and ecosystem management. However, a soil science class provided new perspectives.<\/p>\n

“There’s so much about soils that I never knew before,” Ching said, noting that the class revealed “the chemical, physical, and biological properties of soil” and the “huge diversity of soils that we have here in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>.”<\/p>\n

After graduating from UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, her newfound interest led to her work as a laboratory technician in the soil health lab. She\u2019s currently working on an artificial intelligence-driven farm irrigation project.<\/p>\n

\"India<\/p>\n

Challenging herself to grow<\/h2>\n

Just as she stepped out of her comfort zone to study soil health, Ching also challenged herself to grow entering a pageant for the first time. While many people see pageants as just a beauty contest, she discovered it was much more than that.<\/p>\n

“It’s totally about developing your public speaking skills, being more immersed in your culture, and becoming the best version of yourself,” she said. <\/p>\n

Her pageant platforms centered on food security and dance, a topic sparked by her CTAHR<\/abbr> education. Ching\u2019s pageant speech highlighted the importance of agriculture and food security, aiming to educate youth and honor the legacy of her great-grandfather, who was a “sakada,” or Filipino plantation laborer who laid the foundation for the Filipino community in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Ching will compete for the Miss Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Filipina title on August 9, representing Oʻahu<\/span> amid contestants from other islands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

India Kawelolani Calso Ching cultivated success in science and pageantry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[90,679,212,944,1466,432,9],"class_list":["post-218402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-alumni","tag-alumni-recognition","tag-college-of-tropical-agriculture-and-human-resilience","tag-filipino","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-tropical-plant-and-soil-sciences","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t