Perseverance is a Beautiful Thing
After coming close in previous pageants, Ashley Moser (left) and Aureana Tseu persist and win crowns as Miss Hawaii Teen USA and Miss Hawaii USA. Runners-Up Several Times, Aureana Tseu And Ashley Moser Persisted And Finally Won Crowns
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of it, greeted Moser as she returned to the campus. She left the classroom days before a regular student and returned as Miss Hawaii Teen USA.
The reaction was, “OK, that’s cool,” Moser says in a matter-of-fact tone.
“It was just another day at Punahou,” she laughs.
As for Tseu, from the moment she was crowned Miss Hawaii
USA, friends and family have surrounded her with adoration and congratulations. They were there en masse the night of the competition and swarmed the stage like fans to a rock star.
Her father, Leighton Tseu, a Matson marine engineer, was among the admirers. Her mother, Iwalani Walsh-Tseu, however, was miles away in wintery New York preparing for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. She was heartbroken that she couldn’t be present to watch her daughter compete for the Miss Hawaii USA title.
Kumu hula Walsh-Tseu had choreographed 150 hula dancers who performed the Hawaiian War Chant for the holiday parade. A long-distance call at 3 a.m. pierced the morning darkness in Walsh-Tseu’s hotel room.
“She was so excited,” Tseu says. Her mother, a past title holder herself (Miss Hawaii Filipina), didn’t mind the wake-up call.
Now that she’s Miss Hawaii USA, Tseu will be in rigorous preparation to compete for the national title of Miss USAand the possibility of representing America in the Miss Universe pageant.
“I’ve had a burning desire for a long time to compete on that level,” Tseu reveals. “I watched Kelly Hu compete at Miss USA and Brook Lee, who went on to become Miss Universe.
“It would be an opportunity to share Hawaii’s culture, history and dance with people outside of Hawaii. I know I can do a good job because I am multi-ethnic and representative of the changing face of America. I don’t look at Barack Obama as the first African-American president, but the first Hawaiian president!
“I hope to change the face of Miss USA.”
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Watch for the Kamehameha Schools graduate April 19 as she competes in the Miss USA pageant, televised on NBC from Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.
The hazel-eyed beauty has been dancing hula since childhood and is living proof of its aerobic benefits. It’s her primary form of exercise. Last year, she was runner-up in Miss Aloha Hula at the Merrie Monarch Festival.
As for her slim 5-foot-7-inch, 120-pound frame, she watches her diet carefully and avoids rice completely - tough to do for a local gal who’s tempted by plate lunches. But when one’s in training, the choices are simple.
Miss Hawaii USA wins a $14,000 scholarship to Hawaii Pacific University, which Tseu hopes to use to pursue a master’s degree in business management. She would like to have her own talent management company someday and represent “elite” women who are “triple threats” as intellectuals, talented hula dancers and stunning models.
But she also wants individuals who, like Princess Diana and Angelina Jolie, know how to use their natural gifts to give back to the world and their community.
It’s a platform Tseu takes seriously and is why she aspired to the Miss Hawaii USA title. Winning the crown means visibility and an opportunity to speak out for humanitarian causes.
One can be a silent force and be drowned out among the masses, or be given the media spotlight and opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. She intends to step forward, beautifully and gracefully, to encourage young women to be a catalyst for helping those less fortunate.
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This is the case for young Moser as well. She already embraces community service through the Church of Latter-day Saints and character-building programs such as the Young Women Program (equivalent to Eagle Scouts) and volunteering at Lunalilo Adult Day Care. The 5-foot-4-inch, 123-pound teen aspires to a broadcast communications career like her mother.
Moser will compete next summer in the Miss Teen USA competition (location pending). It will put her on stage with 49 other contestants who are equally driven to represent the ideal American teen.
But being on stage is where Moser seems most comfortable, having been in a number of local drama and musical theatre productions here. Drawing upon her Filipino and Caucasian heritage, all she needs to do is be herself and show how a fine upbringing adds to the inner beauty of a young lady.
When Hawaii sends ambassadors from the Islands to the world stage, there’s a lot of hometown pride that goes with them.
Lately, Hawaii has been producing a lot of winners - from Little League champs to Olympic gold medal athletes to world leaders. We hope the streak of good fortune continues for beauty queens Tseu and Moser.
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