From Crown to Cause: Miss Hawaii Teen USA drives awareness on impaired driving

HONOLULU (Hawaii News Now)- Pageants are about more than beauty for 2026 Miss Hawaii Teen USA Olivia Tom, who is turning her title into a platform for impaired driving awareness.

Tom was crowned in May and joined HNN’s Sunrise Weekends to talk about her partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Hawaii and Drive with Aloha, along with her cause to end impaired driving.

She graduated this year from H.P. Baldwin High School in Wailuku, Maui, and said her experience on the pageant stage has given her a platform to speak out on issues that matter to her community.

“I think it’s so important because it could happen to you… one moment can affect so many,” Tom said.

A standout student, Tom served as valedictorian and will attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa this fall with a focus in business.

She said the issue is personal after a loved one was injured in an impaired driving incident during her senior year of high school.

“It literally made me feel that one moment, one experience, can change so many people’s lives, and it can affect so many,” Tom said.

Tom encourages others to think carefully before getting into a vehicle and to be aware of their surroundings and the people they are with.

“Before you get in the car, think about who you’re getting in the car with,” she said.

Tom will also serve as emcee for the MADD Hawaii Law Enforcement Recognition event on Thursday, June 25.

The event honors law enforcement officers across the state for their efforts to prevent impaired driving and keep Hawaiʻi roads safe.

To follow her journey, visit @missmauiteenusa on Instagram.