▁Asian ▁American , ▁first ▁Filip ino ▁American , ▁and ▁first ▁teacher ▁ever ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁page ant . ▁ ▁A ▁polit ically ▁conserv ative , ▁anti - ab ort ion ▁Catholic , ▁Bar aqu io ▁has ▁been ▁public ly ▁active ▁in ▁supporting ▁various ▁Republican ▁polit icians ▁and ▁in ▁speaking ▁out ▁against ▁abort ion . ▁She ▁is ▁also ▁an ▁educ ator ▁whose ▁platform ▁as ▁Miss ▁America ▁was ▁character ▁education . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Bar aqu io ▁has ▁co - host ed ▁the ▁Hawai ian ▁television ▁show ▁Living ▁Local ▁with ▁the ▁Bar aqu ios . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁ ▁She ▁is ▁the ▁e ighth ▁of ▁ten ▁children ▁( six th ▁of ▁seven ▁girls ) ▁born ▁to ▁an ▁imm igr ant ▁couple ▁from ▁the ▁P ang as in an ▁province ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines . ▁One ▁of ▁her ▁sister s ▁is ▁Hawai ian ▁media ▁person ality ▁Bern ad ette ▁Bar aqu io ▁Ham ada ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁brothers - in - law ▁( B ern ad ette ' s ▁husband ) ▁is ▁Hawai ian ▁conserv ative ▁talk ▁radio ▁show ▁host ▁and ▁column ist , ▁Rick ▁Ham ada . ▁ ▁Bar aqu io ▁graduated ▁from ▁Mo anal ua ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁mag na ▁cum ▁la ude . ▁ ▁Upon ▁gradu ation , ▁she ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Hawai i ▁at ▁M ano a ▁where ▁she ▁graduated ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁with ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁elementary ▁education ▁with