BY LINCOLN JACOBE – HONOLULU, HAWAII – During the first night of competition, Miss Hawaii Jalee Fuselier was named Tuesday evening’s preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness winner of the 2011 Miss America Pageant presented by DSW at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Jalee was the preliminary winner in a black Swim ‘n Sport swimsuit and will receive a $1,000 scholarship for her win.
“We are very proud of our representative’s initial success at the pageant,” said Miss Hawaii Organization President Lincoln Jacobe. “ Jalee has worked very, very hard to achieve this success and has accomplished a great deal so far and we continue to support her during this week of competition.”
Miss Hawaii has become the most prestigious program of its kind in the island state. Major sponsors this year include Time Warner OC16, Hawaiian Airlines and Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa.
Jalee Fuselier is the founder and president of U.S. Dream Academy Hawaii, a graduate of Hawaii Pacific University and the recipient of the Hawaii Pacific University Presidential Scholarship Award.
She has participated in community service in 21 countries and 10 states totaling more than 4,000 hours. Jalee has had some interesting experiences in her life.
She has backpacked to remote villages in Cameroon, performed an international show for more than 11,000 children in Thailand, performed on national television at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, was crowned a village princess by the King of an African village, traveled through bomb sites in India and volunteered in a village destroyed by a tsunami in Thailand.
The Miss Hawaii Organization has supported the advancement of Hawaii’s young women for more than 60 years. Our organization’s mission is to promote the pursuit of higher education, to develop and maintain a commitment of community service, and to inspire our youth to meet the challenge of being the best that they can be. Miss Hawaii is part of the Miss American Organization, an organization that awards more than $45 million in scholarships nationally to young women between the ages of 17-24. This year, the Miss Hawaii program will make available more than $500,000 in cash scholarships and tuition grants.
For more information on the Miss Hawaii Organization please visit www.misshawaii.org
Submitted by Lincoln Jacobe