Meet Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz, who will be crowned Miss USA following Noelia Voigt's resignation
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On Wednesday, Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz will be crowned the new Miss USA 2023.
Gankiewicz took over as queen after Noelia Voigt announced she was resigning on May 6.
Gankiewicz is a model and entrepreneur, and she is opening a boutique hotel in Bali in 2025.
Noelia Voigt was crowned Miss USA in September 2023 in a moment full of celebratory tears and confetti.
But on May 6, Voigt stepped down, citing her mental health and spearheading a slew of high-profile resignations within the Miss USA organization.
On May 9, the organization announced Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz will be taking over as Miss USA for the remainder of Voigt's tenure.
Gankiewicz, 28, will be crowned in a ceremony in Hawaii on Wednesday, marking the official start of her reign.
Gankiewicz was the first runner-up in the 2023 Miss USA pageant, and she won the costume contest
Gankiewicz competed in the Miss USA pageant after being crowned Miss Hawaii in January 2023.
She was first runner-up in the competition, coming in just behind Voigt.
She also won best interview in the pageant and best costume in the state costume contest.
For her costume, Gankiewicz wore a sparkly jumpsuit to honor a 150-year-old banyan tree that was burned during last year's Maui wildfires. A headpiece covered in greenery attached to the ensemble, and swaths of yellow fabric and handpieces designed to look like flames made her look like moving fire.
"This experience has enabled me to have a newfound appreciation and respect for the competition, as I've firsthand been through a transformative journey and experienced amazing growth," Gankiewicz wrote on Instagram of her experience in the pageant. "I cannot wait to embark on my next journey as I close this chapter."
The Miss Hawaii winner took over as Miss USA after Noelia Voigt resigned as queen
Voigt announced her resignation via Instagram, pointing to her mental health as the reason she was stepping back.
"In life, I strongly value making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health," she wrote in her statement.
Voigt doubled down on her message in the caption of her post, writing, "Never compromise your physical and mental well-being. Our health is our wealth."
Following Voigt's announcement, Miss USA said in a statement shared with Business Insider that "the well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time."
Two days later, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava announced her resignation from the pageant on Instagram, saying her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization."
Voigt and Strivasta's announcements came on the heels of Miss USA's social-media director, Claudia Michelle, resigning. In an Instagram statement on May 3, she said the organization had impacted the titleholders' mental health. Likewise, Miss Colorado Arianna Lemus gave up her title on Friday in support of Voigt.
On May 9, Miss USA posted an Instagram statement saying it was "thrilled to announce" Gankiewicz would become the queen, including a quote from the organization's CEO and president, Laylah Rose.
"We are proud to crown Savannah Miss USA 2023, A true representation of vision, intelligence, and compassion," Rose said. "Her dedication to empowering women through self-love and confidence is inspiring, and we look forward to her impactful reign as Miss USA."
Gankiewicz also made her own announcement on Instagram, calling it a "privilege" to accept the title on Hawaii's behalf.
"Please know that my decision to accept the Miss USA crown was not one that was made lightly," she wrote in her statement. "I stand with Noelia and admire her strength to step down and prioritize her mental health."
As of Wednesday, Miss USA had yet to announce who will replace Srivastava as Miss Teen USA. On Monday, the first runner-up in the pageant, Miss Teen New York Stephanie Skinner, declined to take over the title.
Gankiewicz is an entrepreneur, model, and philanthropist
Gankiewicz was born in Oahu, Hawaii, and spent her childhood in both Maui and Virginia, according to Lifestyle.Inq's Carl Martin Agustin, who interviewed Gankiewicz in August 2023.
When she isn't competing in pageants, Gankiewicz is a professional model and entrepreneur. Her latest venture is Echohouse, a boutique lodging in Bali that she plans to open in 2025.
She also champions female empowerment through her nonprofit "What Makes You Feel Beautiful," which is based in Maui, and works with the nonprofit "F.L.Y. First Love Yourself," according to Miss USA.
Gankiewicz is also passionate about her heritage, as she has Filipino, Vietnamese, and Polish ancestry. She celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on Instagram in 2023, and she competed in the Mutya ng Pilipinas pageant in the Philippines in 2017, winning the Miss Overseas Communities title, Lifestyle.Inq reported.
Her reign as Miss Hawaii technically ended in April when Breea Yamat was crowned Miss Hawaii USA 2024. But Gankiewicz will serve as Miss USA until the 2024 queen is crowned in August.
In her Instagram statement about becoming Miss USA, Gankiewicz said she hopes to use her short time with the title to help rebuild Lahania, which was decimated in the Maui wildfires.
"Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement and kindness as I embark on this new journey," she said. "Your uplifting comments and messages have ensured me that accepting the title is the right thing to do and I am so thrilled to be your new Miss USA."
Gankiewicz did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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