When asked if she thought she was going to win the title of Miss Samoa USA over 5 months ago—when she first decided to run—Josephine Lealaitafea immediately laughed.
“I did not think that I was going to win,” she said. But Lealaitafea, a pre-med BYU student, was crowned Miss Samoa USA on Aug. 1, 2024.

Anika Pasa, a good friend of Lealaitafea, had the same reaction.
“(She) sent me a text message this one random Sunday (in July) and said someone in her ward had asked if she would want to run in a pageant," Pasa said. "We just laughed; we just thought it was funny.”
They laughed, not because they thought of the competition as a joke, but because Lealaitafea had never participated in a pageant before. They both believed Lealaitafea might not be suitable for such a contest.
Lealaitafea, who had to learn how to do makeup while preparing for this competition, believed her inexperience with things such as interviews and professionalism was bound to keep her from winning.
It took her a week to decide if she was going to do it. The pageant was coming up in August.
“I told her to pray about it and see what the Lord says. We talked about the pros and cons of her running,” Lokana Enos, Lealaitafea’s boyfriend, said
Once Lealaitafea decided to run, Enos said he was happy for her. He admitted he was initially worried that competing would be too far out of her comfort zone.
“Once she started taking it seriously, I was rooting for her,” Pasa said.
They only had 4 weeks to prepare, compared to the months of preparation other contestants had taken.
“It was crazy. Joey was running everywhere, doing all these interviews, learning how to do makeup because she never wears makeup, having to get her photos taken. She went through a lot of changes,” Pasa said. “Watching her become Miss Samoa USA has been a journey for sure."
Since winning the competition, Lealaitafea has been fulfilling her pageant duties by attending events, connecting with the community and representing the Samoan diaspora in the United States. She is also responsible for creating her own platform, which is centered around bridging culture and innovation.
“I've realized that culture is an avenue that God speaks to me through. So I've received a lot of revelation [in] understanding who I am as a Samoan, where I come from, where my ancestors are from," Lealaitafea said. "It really has strengthened my testimony and where I stand with God.”

These responsibilities last a year and have created several opportunities for Lealaitafea, including the chance to visit Samoa and connect with the community there, which she deemed a “core memory that was pivotal to my life.”
Lealaitafea credits this visit to Samoa as Miss Samoa USA as an event that “changed the trajectory of my career path and how I want to live.” Lealaitafea aspires to become a doctor to help her community in the Pacific Islands.
This goal is her motivation behind balancing her studies, personal life and title duties, which she said gives her ample opportunities to “practice applying grace and not be too hard on” herself.
“Joey has been super positive in everything that she does, and in everything that she does, she will always give 100%,” Pasa said.
Enos, who sees all the dedication Lealaitafea puts into her title away from the public, is proud of her.
"She's doing an amazing job and handling things very well," Enos said.
One challenge for Lealaitafea is knowing that she is living a lot of girls' dreams while she, herself, never dreamt of the title as a possibility until recently.
"I just have had to adjust to it, and because I'm so new to this, I don't beat down on myself too much,” Lealaitafea said.
Another challenge for Lealaitafea is realizing how being Miss Samoa USA has altered the path she previously had thought for herself. Lealaitafea has experienced setbacks in her goals concerning schooling and her personal life, specifically concerning marriage.
Lealaitafea participated in BYU’s annual Luau, performing alongside Pasa and Enos in the Samoan culture section.
That week proved to be one of her hardest weeks yet.

“I found out that my mom had a heart attack the week before, and she still wanted me to perform. But, I did not want to perform. I did not want to be there. But, you know, you do it for your family,” Lealaitafea said
This is a quality for which Pasa admires Lealaitafea.
“If there’s one thing to know about Joey, it’s that she does everything for the family. She just wants to make them proud,” Pasa said.
Lealaitafea said the night of her Luau performance was hard because she did not have her parents there, but her family and siblings came.
"We just had heavy hearts because we knew what was going on,” Lealaitafea said.
Lealaitafea performed the same dance she had performed for her Miss Samoa USA pageant. Though the night rocked her emotionally, she tried her best to “dance with emotions and tell a story,” which is something her mentors urged her to do.
Enos said that the biggest change in Lealaitafea since being crowned is increased maturity.
"Not to say she wasn't mature before, but I've seen how she’s learned and grown,” Enos said. "Especially through the people she’s met."
Pasa said Lealaitafea’s love and confidence for her culture has grown exponentially.
“When she went to Samoa to compete, she connected with her roots, her family, her ancestors." Pasa said, "All of that helped her to know more about the culture and what it means to be a Samoan woman."
Pasa feels like her confidence has grown a lot. She sees Lealaitafea as a role model for Samoan girls.
"They look up to her. I look up to her," Pasa said. "She’s proven to everyone that you don't have to know the language to be of a certain culture.”
The most important message Lealaitafea wanted to tell her fellow students was to understand that culture is not a liability.
“Our culture is a stepping stool and can actually propel us to our career paths and also our potential," Lealaitafea said. "We don't have to forsake everything we know just because we’re a minority.”