A crown can be a photo, or it can be a job. When AliA became Miss International Hawaii, she didn’t just step into a big four pageant title, she stepped into a global responsibility rooted in service, culture, and daily discipline. We talk about what the Miss International system actually is, how Hawaii holds both state and national pathways, and what it feels like to win when pageantry was never “your thing” to begin with.  

From there, we get into the work: the United Nations partnership behind Miss International, the Sustainable Development Goals, and why education is the first step before advocacy. Alia shares how she focuses on SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 17 (partnerships), and how her initiative, grows out of disaster relief experiences tied to typhoon recovery in the Pacific and support reaching as far as Venezuela. We also talk about boots-on-the-ground relief in Hawaii after major storms, the reality of limited visibility for island communities, and why leadership means showing up even when it is messy and exhausting.  

Then we go personal: the meaning of aloha beyond a catchphrase, how social media can either reward negativity or spread real encouragement, and how taekwondo shaped her identity through respect, self-control, and self-defense. One moment hits especially hard as we explore fear, resilience, and a line worth repeating: self-defense starts with knowing you’re worth defending. If you care about Hawaii culture, women’s leadership, disaster relief, mental health, martial arts mindset, or building a life with purpose, this conversation will stay with you.  

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