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| Maria Miranda, second from left, was crowned the 2015 Miss Ka'u Coffee Queen. First Princess is Joyce Ibasan, third from left. Second Princess
is Vivien Santos, left, and Third Princess is Jennifer Tabios, right. Photo by Pamela Taylor |
A 2015 Miss Ka'u Coffee Queen was crowned Sunday night (April 26) at the Pahala Community Center. The four contestants competed in three main categories: Talent, Evening Wear and Speech. Prizes were also given for Miss Popularity, Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic.
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Maria Miranda talked about responsibility
of citizenship and won the Miss Ka'u
Coffee title. Photo by Jesse Tunison |
This year's Queen is Maria Miranda, First Princess is Joyce Ibasan, Second Princess is Vivien Santos and Third Princess is Jennifer Tabios.
More than $7,200 in scholarships was donated by businesses, public officials and community organizations.
2015 Miss Ka'u Coffee Queen Maria Caroline Miranda, 23, was born in the California agricultural town
of Visalia in the San Joaquin Valley. She is the daughter of
award-winning coffee farmers Jose and Berta Miranda of Miranda's Farms, of Discovery
Harbour. A 2012 high school graduate through Safe Haven Christian Co-op,
Maria plans to study nursing at University of Hawai'i in Hilo after
completing an Associate of Arts degree at Hawai'i Community College. At
HCC, Maria interned as a laboratory assistant. She is a Ka'u Chamber of
Commerce scholarship winner and volunteers at Ka'u Hospital, visiting
residential patients, some with no family. Maria works in her family
Ka'u Coffee business, from picking to processing and marketing. She is
developing a Sunday school program for Amazing Grace Baptist Church of
South Point. Maria played the piano as her talent and was accompanied by a show of photographs of Ka'u coffee farms on stage.
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| Photo by Nalani Parlin |
Maria received her crown from 2014 Miss Ka'u
Coffee Amery Silva and Ka'u Coffee Mill owner Edmund C. Olson, with a trophy presented by
Ka'u coffee farmers Trini and Francis Marques of Ali'i Hawaiian Hula Hands Coffee and a scepter presented by
2014 Miss Peaberry Madison Okimoto. She took home $2,500 in scholarships for her title: $1,000
presented by Sammy Stanbro and Edmund C. Olson Trust II; $500 from CU Hawai'i Federal
Credit Union, presented by Lester “Mako” Okazaki; $500 from Pacific
Quest; $250 from Punalu'u Bake Shop, presented by Connie Koi; and $250
from Ka'u Chamber of Commerce, presented by Donna Masaniai. Maria won the Talent trophy presented by Ka'u coffee farmers Annabelle and Franklin Orcino and $500 in scholarships with $250 from Malian Lahey of Ka'u Specialty Coffee, $150 from County Council member Maile David and $100 from Julia Neal of Pahala Plantation Cottages. Maria also won the Evening Wear and Speech trophies presented by Ka'u coffee farmers Maile and Efren Abellera. She earned $500 in scholarships, with $250 from state Sen. Josh Green and $250 from state Rep. Richard Onishi.
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| Photo by Nalani Parlin |
2015 Miss Ka'u Coffee First Princess Joyce Anne Ibasan, 21, was born in Dagupan, the Philippines. She is the
daughter of Orlando Ibasan and Jocelyn Tamayo, of Pahala. A 2012
graduate of Ka'u High School, she graduates this spring with an
Associate of Arts degree in administration of justice from Hawai'i
Community College and plans to transfer to University of Hawai‘i in Hilo
to major in criminal justice. She works full-time at Hawai'i Volcanoes
National Park and completed two high school Youth Ranger internships
with the interpretation and eruption crew/protection division of Hawai'i
Volcanoes National Park. Joyce is a fulltime student and fulltime
employee. Some of her family members recently started a Ka'u Coffee farm
above Wood Valley Road. Joyce performed a song and dance routine as her talent.
Joyce received her crown from Miss Ka'u Coffee Pageant Chair Gloria Camba and
Roger Kaiwi, of Hawai'i Coffee Co., with a trophy from Ka'u coffee
farmer Rogelio Aquino. She received $1,500 in scholarships for her title, with $1,000
from Hawai'i Coffee Co., presented by Roger Kaiwi and $500 from Ka'u
Royal Hawaiian Coffee & Tea, LLC presented by Tyler Johansen. She won the Miss Photogenic trophy presented by Ka'u coffee farmers Verna and Milton Dacalio and a $250 scholarship from Sen. Russell Ruderman. Joyce also won the Miss Popularity trophy presented by Ka'u coffee farmers Jackie and Leonardo Castaneda.
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| Photo by Nalani Parlin |
2015 Miss Ka'u Coffee 2nd Princess Louise Vivien Santos, 20, was born in Ilocos Norte in the Philippines.
She is the daughter of Arnel and Amelita Santos, of Pahala, her father a
schoolteacher and mother an employee of a macadamia orchard. Her aunt
Anabelle Orcino is a Ka'u Coffee farmer, and Santos helps with the
business. A 2013 Ka'u High School graduate, Vivien also graduated from
high school with honors in the Philippines. She is a Ka'u Chamber of
Commerce scholarship winner who studies in the nursing program at
University of Hawai'i – Hilo. She aspires to become a nurse at Ka'u
Hospital. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Interact Club
and Akamai Finance Academy and has interned with the international
Longshore & Warehouse Union. She has tutored at Pahala and Na'alehu
schools, won statewide awards for science and engineering projects and
speaks several languages. Vivien played the violin as her talent.
Vivien received her crown from Pageant Director Nalani Parlin and Ka'u
Coffee Festival organizer Chris Manfredi and a trophy from Lorie Obra. Viven won Miss Congeniality, with trophy presented by Ka'u coffee
farmers Maria and Roberto Miranda, with a $250 scholarship from Rep.
Richard Creagan. She received $900 in scholarships, with $500 from the Ka'u Coffee
Festival Committee; $350 from Bio-Eco Hawai'i, Inc., presented by
Francisco Lobos; and $50 from Damian Eatinger.
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| Photo by Nalani Parlin |
2015 Miss Ka'u Coffee 3rd Princess Jennifer Flores Tabios, 18, was born on the Big Island. She is the
daughter of William and Grace Tabios, of Na'alehu. A senior at Ka'u High
School, she serves as vice president of the student body and is a
member of National Honor Society and the Interact Club. She has earned
one of the highest grade-point averages in her class. At the 2015
Science and Engineering Fair at 'Imiloa, she won best project for
astronomy and earned the Galileo Award for her experiment on surface
tension. Jennifer works with her family’s coffee label The Rising Sun Ka'u Coffee,
which has taken top awards at the international Specialty Coffee
Association of America competition. She also works with the Will &
Grace store in Na'alehu. Upon graduating, Jennifer hopes to attend UCLA
where she plans to study neurology. Jennifer sang and plated the 'ukulele as her talent.
Jennifer took home a trophy presented by Ka'u coffee farmers Herme and Leo Norberte and $700 in scholarships, with $600 from friends and family in honor of the late Bobby Tucker and $100 from an anonymous donor in honor of the late Leiani Camba-Penera and Zaileah.
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| Community organization and business representatives lined up to give scholarships to the winners. Left to right: Donna Masaniai, President of Ka'u Chamber of Commerce; Lester Okazaki, manager of CU Hawai'i Federal Credit Union branches in Ka'u; Connie Koi, manager of Punalu'u Bake Shop; and Edmund C. Olson, of Ka'u Coffee Mill and Olson Trust. Miss Ka'u Coffee Maria Miranda received a scepter from 2014 Miss Peaberry Madison Okimoto, a trophy from Trini and Francis Marques and a crown from 2014 Miss Ka'u Coffee Amery Silva. Photo by Jesse Tunison |
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