Lauren Cheape Biography

Lauren Nicole Kealohilani Cheape, (born August 16, 1987) is an American politician and beauty pageant titleholder. Cheape currently represents the new District 45, representing Schofield, Mokuleia, Waialua, Kunia, Waipio Acres, and her hometown of Mililani in the Hawaii State House of Representatives. She holds the title of Miss Hawaii 2011, and competed in the Miss America 2012 pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was planted in Waialua, grew up in Mililani, and is rooted in both communities.

Personal life

Cheape traces her roots in Hawai?i back to 1859 and is the sixth generation to be born and raised in the islands. Her great-grandfather started Peterson's Upland Farm in 1910 and it just reached its 102nd anniversary this year as a family-run business supplying fresh eggs for our communities. Her grandfather worked at Waialua Sugar Company since 1966 and worked there until he retired. Cheape's grandmother Suzanne Peterson was the first woman to serve on the Board of Agriculture and later became the Director of Agriculture under Governor Waihee.

For the past 22 years Cheape's father, Michael has worked at Nanakuli High School as a Special Education Teacher. Her mother Sharon works on the family farm, continues to promote local agriculture in the islands, and served as the Vice-President of the Hawai?i Egg Producers Association. Her brother Matthew is attending University of Hawai?i (UH) where he is a member of the UH Men's Volleyball Team. Cheape was born and raised in Mililani where she attended Mililani Waena Elementary, was the first class to attend Mililani Middle School, and graduated from Mililani High School. She participated in many activities such as the Hawaiian Island Skippers jump rope team, Mililani High School Volleyball, Swimming, and Water Polo teams, as well as the Symphonic Ensemble.

Cheape graduated from University of Hawai'i with a B.A. degree in film production with the Academy for Creative Media and minored in Business and Japanese. Her first experience with the legislature was with her documentary Farm Grown that helped pass the Feed Subsidy Bill. Cheape was a four year Division I scholar-athlete at the University of Hawai?i as a Wahine Water Polo player. She was also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and initiated the C.A.R.E. Collegiate Athletes Reaching Everyone program, which uses student-athletes to encourage youth to excel in academics and participate in athletics.

Political career

Cheape ran a successful campaign for election in 2012 to the newly formed Hawaii State House District 45 in Oahu, Hawaii. District 45 comprises Cheape's hometown of Mililani, and Schofield, Wheeler, Mokuleia, and Waialua. She ran unopposed in the primaries as a Republican candidate. Cheape served her community throughout her life and during her year as Miss Hawai'i. That passion continues today, which prompted her to make a difference in her state by running for office. Furthermore, she has the perspective of a fourth generation farmer in Hawaii on her family's egg farm, which gives her the unique opportunity to be a voice for local farmers.

Some of Cheape's key values of which she platformed on include: expanding local agriculture, strengthening education, improving the local economy, and advocating for responsible environmental policies.

Miss Hawaii

Cheape competed at Miss Hawaii 2011 as Miss East Oahu. Her talent was a Jump Rope Routine, which she took up after seeing a jump rope team perform at her school. Her platform is C.A.R.E.: Collegiate Athletes Reaching Everyone. She won on her fourth try for the Miss Hawaii title. She represented Hawaii at the National Sweetheart 2010 Pageant, a spot she earned by placing 2nd runner-up to Miss Hawaii 2010. She was named a Quality of Life Finalist at the Miss America 2012 pageant.