Savannah Gankiewicz biography: 13 things about Miss USA 2023

Who is Savannah Gankiewicz?

Savannah Mar’i Tagorda Gankiewicz is a Polish-Vietnamese-Filipino-American entrepreneur, model and beauty queen certified in youth mental health first aid. She was born on Oahu in Hawaii, United States to Mark J. Gankiewicz and Yvienne Tagorda Peterson.

Mark is Polish and Vietnamese. He and his wife Kimberly Cuesta Gankiewicz live in Stephenson, Virginia, USA.

Peterson is Filipino. She and her husband Gerrit Peterson live on Maui in Hawaii.

Savannah’s great-granduncles served as mayors in Abra, Philippines. Here are 10 more things about her:

1. She attended Sherando High School in Stephens City, Virginia and George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
2. She was trained by the Mental Health America of Hawaii organization.
3. She is 5’8″ tall.
4. In 2002, she started going back and forth from Maui to Virginia.
5. She was unplaced when she represented Stephens City at Miss Virginia Teen USA 2013.
6. She is Miss Super Talent of the World USA 2015.
7. She was a Miss Super Talent of the World 2015 candidate.
8. In 2017, Savannah decided to stay on Maui and started working professionally as a model.
9. She was a Mutya ng Pilipinas 2017 finalist.
10. In 2019, she was chosen as the face of Wella for a hair campaign in Los Angeles, California, USA.
11. While reigning as Miss USA 2023, she served as a program director at the F.L.Y. First Love Yourself youth program and an advocate for the Maui-based 501 (c)3 nonprofit What Makes You Feel Beautiful, which advocates for female empowerment.
12. She co-founded Echohouse, a boutique hotel set to open in Bali, Indonesia in 2024.
13. On November 26, 2024, she turned 29.

TIMELINE

2015

• On March 14, 2015, she won Miss Super Talent of the World USA 2015 at the Arena State in Washington, D.C., USA.
• On May 13, 2015, she competed against 97 other Miss Super Talent of the World 2015 candidates at The K Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. She was unplaced but she won the People’s Choice Award.

2017

• On September 16, 2017, she, Lexi Almeida and Roisin Fagan sported Hawaii Polo Life gear before the 2017 Hawaii Invitational of Polo match in Waimanalo, Hawaii.
• On August 4, 2017, she represented Hawaii at Mutya ng Pilipinas 2017 and competed against 29 other candidates at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines. She finished in the Top 12 and was crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas Overseas Filipino Communities 2017.

2022

• In March 2022, she visited Bali.
• In September 2022, she joined The Agency in The Shops of Wailea in Wailea, Hawaii as a marketing coordinator and visited Sardinia, Italy.

2023

• On January 15, 2023, she represented Wailea at Miss Hawaii USA 2023 and competed against 24 other candidates at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. She won the title.
• On September 29, 2023, she represented Hawaii at Miss USA 2023 and competed against 50 other candidates at Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, USA. She was runner-up to Noelia Voigt.

2024

• On April 19, 2024, she crowned her successor Miss Hawaii USA 2024 Breea Yamat at the Royal Hawaiian Center in Honolulu.
• On May 6, 2024, Voigt resigned as Miss USA 2023 citing mental health so on May 15, 2024, she was officially crowned Miss USA 2023 by Hawaii governor Josh Green in Honolulu.
• On May 21, 2024, she attended GRAMMY Museum’s inaugural GRAMMY Hall of Fame gala and concert presented by City National Bank at The Novo by Microsoft at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.
• On August 4, 2024, she crowned her successor Miss USA 2024 Alma Cooper at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

2025

• In January 2025, she traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• In February 2025, she visited Bali again.