The competition was held and aired on November 7, Saturday from Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Furthermore, the organizers ensure the safety of the people involved in the said event despite the global pandemic crisis.
Winning answer
Q: What has experiencing a global pandemic taught you about life?
Answer: Wow, of course, this global pandemic is very unprecedented and has taught me a lot about life. For me especially, is taught me to appreciate my family. I got spend so much time with my family my little sister and my little brother, I love them dearly and I know that soon in spring I will be going off to college and I won’t have those precious moments with them, so really just to cherish those around me and really just, It’s so honorable that I get to represent my home of Hawaii so just being at home it’s so wonderful, thank you.
Photo courtesy of Miss Teen USA Organization
Out of 50 competitors, Arruda has claimed the title together with the first-runner up to Miss Oregon Shayla Montgomery and second-runner up Miss Georgia Shayla Jackson. She was also the second Hawaiian who won the title of Miss Teen USA. The first was Kelly Hu, a former model and a winner for Miss teen USA 1985, Miss Hawaii USA 1993 and also played a role on “X-men United” as a supervillain named “Lady Deathstrike”.
Photo courtesy of Miss Teen USA Organization
Ki'ilani Arruda was currently a freshman at the University of Puget Sound getting learned about molecular and cellular biology. Arruda is also caring when it comes to her family and especially to her younger brother who was diagnosed with autistic at the age of two, and because of that. She took a stand in advocating for autism awareness in the pageant of Miss Teen USA 2020.
She will now represent the country of the USA and will strive for the title of Miss Universe 2020. The organizers of Miss Universe haven't released any data or news about when and where the pageant will happen.
Seji Dela Masa, TGVO
