Waipahu dancer clinches title of Miss Hawaii’s Outstanding Teen 2021

Ilima Sexton stands among the masked-up contestants at Sunday's Miss Hawaii's Outstanding Teen...
Ilima Sexton stands among the masked-up contestants at Sunday's Miss Hawaii's Outstanding Teen competition at the Hawaii Convention Center.(Miss Hawaii's Outstanding Teen / Jon Fujiwara)
Published: May. 3, 2021 at 7:57 PM HST
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HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A young woman with a passion for dance has been crowned Miss Hawaii’s Outstanding Teen 2021.

Ewa Beach resident lima Sexton won the title in front of a limited audience at the Hawaii Convention Center Sunday evening.

Sexton is a student at Waipahu High School. She was one of 10 contestants vying for the title, and the chance to represent Hawaii on the national stage at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition in Florida this summer.

In the talent division, she showcased her dance skills with a hip-hop performance. She’s been dancing since the age of six, and is an instructor with local dance group Hypersquad.

Her platform was body positivity, and centers around self love.

“I’m looking forward to spreading my platform and working with amazing organizations, and getting to work again with the amazing crew,” Sexton said after being crowned. “My platform is about body positivity. It focuses all on being able to love yourself before anyone else.”

Sexton takes on the title following Makaila Nativdad, who served two years as Miss Hawaii’s Outstanding Teen. The competition was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and Sunday’s event was limited in size with safety precautions in place.

The Outstanding Teen program is the companion to the Miss Hawaii competition, which will be held later this month.

To learn more about the teen organization, click here.

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