The Miss Susana o Samoa, Sonia Piva, has been crowned the winner of the 2018 Miss Samoa Pageant.

The 21-year-old, who has worked as an assistant secretary to the Pacific Games Organising Committee Chief Executive since March this year, was crowned at the Don Bosco Hall at Salelologa after 2.00 pm (local time) today. 

Samoa Observer reporter Adel Fruean, giving an update from Savai’i Island, said the crowd broke into a rapturous cheer when her win was announced by the pageant judges.  

“The crowd went wild and loud, very loud cause the majority of the spectators were from Salelologa, which was also the host village of the pageant. The biggest crowd came from Salelologa, which was Sonia’s host village for the whole week in Savai’i,” she said in text message. 

Sonia won the best interview category with Cecilia Tufuga Fatu getting the best talent category and Levalasi Vivian Sua the best sarong category. 

In a recent story published in the Samoa Observer which profiled Sonia, she is the youngest in a family of two and is not blinded by the attention that the pageant has brought her.

She has come to appreciate the pressure she is shouldering to rise to the occasion and meet the expectations of her huge Samoan family.

"Meeting the expectations of relatives and supporters is paramount to me," she says.

"While it's exciting, the contestant role also comes with a lot of responsibilities and demands."

Her pageant platform revolved the issue of “education”, which comes as no surprise as teaching is her passion.  Sonia is currently pursing bachelor of education degree as well as doing online courses on health care for the disabilities.

"Education is the key to prosperity," she said.