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Miss Auburn's Outstanding Teen promotes culture, hula and 'Stories That Heal' initiative
Summary
Malia Watsonabi Collier, Miss Auburn's Outstanding Teen, described a community-service initiative called "Stories That Heal" centered on storytelling and culture sharing; she described hula as a personal grounding practice and said she hopes to publish and contribute to local arts programming.
Malia Watsonabi Collier, recently crowned Miss Auburn's Outstanding Teen, told the Auburn on Main podcast that her community-service platform, "Stories That Heal: Inspiring compassion through storytelling and culture sharing," is focused on connecting people through narrative and cultural exchange.
"My community service initiative is stories that heal inspiring compassion through storytelling and culture sharing," Watsonabi Collier said. She described using interviews and magazine-style features to highlight different communities, and said the effort is intended to build empathy across cultures in the Auburn area.
Watsonabi Collier described a long personal involvement in hula dance, saying she has been dancing since age 4 and that she performed Kahiko, a traditional form of hula, on the Miss Auburn stage. "It's been one of the most important things in my life to keep me centered," she said, describing her halau's trips to Kauai and the experience of learning traditional practices.
She discussed school activities and fundraising: Watsonabi Collier said she is president of her school's National Junior Honor Society and that the group ran a Croc-charms fundraiser in place of candygrams. She also said she has long wanted to be an author and welcomed opportunities to contribute to local publications.
Watsonabi Collier said her platform aims to bring cultural education to local audiences through performances, interviews and community events. The podcast hosts suggested local arts organizations and the Postmark Center as potential partners for community storytelling projects.
