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Maui High student’s senior project celebrates teens with special needs

Miss Fabulous Teen 2016

Jacob Espania (from left), Casey Gamiao, Shanyce McAvoy, Kainoa Tabaco, Lindsey Saludares, Kiele Pahia, Abby Clayton and Kainoa Davis are all smiles after the crowning ceremony of the Miss Fabulous Teen 2016 pageant at Maui High School on Sunday. Saludares, a Maui High student, organized the pageant for special needs teens as part of her senior project. The Maui News COLLEEN UECHI photo

KAHULUI — Three-time Special Olympics gold medalist Casey Gamiao can now add “pageant queen” to her list of accomplishments this year.

Gamiao, 14, and four other Maui girls were all crowned “Miss Fabulous Teen 2016” during a pageant showcasing the talents of special needs students Sunday afternoon at Maui High School. The pageant was the inspiration of 17-year-old Maui High student Lindsey Saludares, who organized the event as part of her senior project.

The contestants — Abby Clayton, Kalikokielemae’ole “Kiele” Pahia, Nadia Engert, Shanyce McAvoy and Gamiao — ranged in age from 13 to 19.

“I feel really amazing,” the 19-year-old Clayton said after the pageant as she sported a glittering tiara and clutched an armful of floral bouquets. “I’m really emotional and really happy.”

Clayton, a graduate of King Kekaulike High School who has her sights set on becoming a rock star, got a taste of fame Sunday during the pageant.

Lindsey Saludares crowns 19-year-old Abby Clayton during the closing ceremony. Each contestant received a crown, sash, trophy and bag of goodies. The Maui News COLLEEN UECHI photo

Under the glow of the stage lights in the Maui High gym, the teens showed off their fitness, dancing skills, evening gowns and best runway model impressions, as music thumped through the speakers and the crowd of more than 100 cheered them on.

“It’s great to give our special kids that opportunity to attend an event that, for other girls, is a normal thing,” said Karin Engert, Nadia’s mother. “She loves to put on dresses. She loves hamming it up, loves people and crowds.”

Nadia Engert, 13, has a very rare chromosomal deletion that has left her with many mental and physical challenges that have required treatment in Los Angeles. Nevertheless, Karin Engert said that her daughter is “always happy,” which Nadia has said is her goal in life.

The girls are members of Maui’s Best Buddies program, which fosters one-on-one friendships and provides leadership and job opportunities for those with special needs. Five Maui high schools and three intermediate schools participate in the program, said Alison Somilleda, senior program manager with Best Buddies. Somilleda said that when she walked into the decorated gym Sunday afternoon, she wanted to cry.

“Just to give the opportunity for our girls to really come out and show their talents and abilities, to give them the space, it was incredible,” Somilleda said.

Kalikokielemae‘ole “Kiele” Pahia dances during the fitness portion of Sunday’s pageant. The Maui News COLLEEN UECHI photo

Saludares got involved with Best Buddies during her junior year because her stepsister has a disability. Through the program, Saludares was paired with McAvoy, a fellow Maui High student. The two hang out at school, grab lunch together and have regular coffee dates. McAvoy, 18, hopes to become a nurse’s aide someday, according to the pageant booklet.

Saludares, who was named Miss Valley Isle Teen USA 2016 and Miss Kahikinui Outstanding Teen 2015, thought a pageant would be a unique way to give back to the community. The whole event took about two months to pull together, and Saludares said she choreographed all of the dance moves. At the end, each girl received a crown, trophy, sash and a bag of goodies that included lotions, hair and bath supplies and gift cards.

“I enjoyed every moment of it,” said Saludares, who plans to attend the University of Hawaii Maui College next year to pursue a career as an emergency medical technician. “I’m glad it worked out as perfect as it did. Each girl is amazing in their own way.”

When asked whether she was nervous on stage under the glare of the stage lights, Gamiao responded with an emphatic “No.” She explained that she stayed calm by simply pretending she was “on a date.” Gamiao, who has Down syndrome, earned three gold medals in the Hawaii Special Olympics over the summer.

“Sometimes she’s shy, but she was a ham today,” said her mother, Christine Kekipi-Gamiao.

Jacarra Lewallan, a special education teacher at Maui Waena Intermediate and the mother of pageant queen Pahia, said that her 13-year-old daughter “loves to be a princess.”

Pahia was born prematurely and diagnosed with multiple conditions, including cerebral palsy. She doesn’t let that stop her from dancing and planning parties, which she lists as her favorite hobbies. Her mother called her “the life of the party.”

“Everything you’re seeing is a miracle,” Lewallen said, adding that the pageant was something the family “will remember for a lifetime.”

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.

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