Born and raised in Hilo, Hawai‘i, Issha Rose Mata is a proud graduate of Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i and the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. As the newly crowned Miss Hawaii USA 2025, she is a passionate advocate for arts education, mental health awareness, and people with intellectual disabilities. Issha is also set to publish her debut poetry book, To Read Between the Lines, later this year—a project over 15 years in the making. She will go on to represent Hawai‘i at the 2025 Miss USA pageant, carrying the spirit of aloha every step of the way.