NAKUHA ng 18-year-old Filipino-American na si Ki’ilani Arruda ang sash and crown sa grand coronation night ng Miss USA 2020 nitong Sabado, Nov. 7 (US time) sa Tennessee.
Hinangaan ng lahat si Arruda sa kanyang naging sagot sa Q&A portion ng patimpalak.
Tanong sa kanya: “What has experiencing a global pandemic taught you about life?”
Vice Ganda, sinabing hindi kamangmangan tunay na kalaban ng edukasyon
Sinagot ito ni Arruda ng: “Well, of course this global pandemic is very unprecedented and has taught me a lot about life. For me, it has especially taught me how to appreciate my family. I got to spend so much time with my family, my little sister, my little brother. I love them dearly, and I know that soon, in spring, I will be going into college, and I won’t have those precious moments to share with them. So really, it’s just to cherish those moments. And it’s so honorable I get to represent my home of Hawai’i, so just being at home is so wonderful.”
Si Arruda ang ikalawang representative mula Hawaii na nakasungkit ng titulo matapos ni Kelly Hu noong 1985.
Siya rin ang ikalawang Fil-Am na kinorohang Miss USA matapos itong unang makuha ni Vanessa Minillo noong 1998.
Sa isang interview after the pageant ibinahagi ni Arruda na si Catriona Gray ang kanyang favorite na Miss Universe. Aniya, “I’m a little biased. Of course, Catriona because I am half Filipino myself and her reign was so amazing, and I’ve always looked up to her as a role model.”
Samantala, nakuha naman ni Miss Oregon Shayla Montgomery ang first runner-up habang si Miss Georgia Shayla Jackson ang nagkamit ng second runner-up.
-Neil Ramos
