With the deadline for the 2012 R.E.A.L. Girl contest fast approaching for all Girl Scouts, we wanted to catch you up on what 2010 R.E.A.L. Girl Hosanna Kabakoro has been up to lately. Hear about her travels, work adventures and how the R.E.A.L. Girl contest affected her.

Aiming high at the Taj Mahal, Agra,India

What was it like winning the Justine 2010 R.E.A.L. Girl and being on the cover? I still can’t get over the fact that Justine selected me to be on the cover! I have been contacted by so many inspiring people who read the article and wrote to tell me how it challenged or motivated them. I think those messages affected me the most because they confirmed my belief that each one of us has the power to make a positive difference in someone else’s life.

Also, after the magazine hit the stands, I started getting a lot of offers for product endorsement and modeling jobs. I’m now an associate producer at MAI TV! They did a feature on me not long after the Justine issue came out. I know being named as Justine’s R.E.A.L. Girl got my name, as well as my goals and aspirations, “out there” and I am so thankful to have been given this wonderful opportunity.

What advice can you give to girls who are thinking about applying? One of the things I love about Justine magazine is that each issue is filled with girls just like me!  I would advise every girl who hopes to become this year’s R.E.A.L. Girl to be just that—REAL! Be genuine. Be sincere. God created each one of us as a unique individual. Don’t try to be a cheap imitation of someone else. Just be…YOU!

Making Chapati in a north Indian village

What have you been up to this past year? This has been a doozy of a year! I served on Girl Scout USA’s National Board Leadership Lanes and learned so much from the wonderful mentors at the Girl Scout headquarters in New York. Then I interned with CBS affiliate KMVT and worked at FOX RADIO’s KLIX  in Idaho. Of course I have stayed busy in community service. I’m very proud of my work with the H.Y.P.E. Movement and the Destined for Greatness Conference which was held in Salt Lake City. Then last August, after winning Miss Congeniality at Miss Teen USA in the Bahamas, (and yes, I did trip in my heels but it was backstage so nobody saw!), I joined Youth With A Mission in Cascade, ID, and spent three months preparing to work with women and children in northern Indian villages. I was based in the ancient city of Benares where I walked the ghats (stairs) of the Ganges River every day. I will forever treasure my experiences there. Now I have returned to my home country of Fiji in the South Pacific, and I am now working as an associate producer with Fiji’s FAVORITE TV station, MAI TV.

On air at FOX-KLIX Radio

What do you think made you a R.E.A.L. Girl and what does that mean to you? I think the fact that I am comfortable in my own skin came across in my application. I don’t try to copy other girls' style or mannerisms and I think the panel saw that. I also love scouting and recently received my Lifetime Girl Scout membership. I will ALWAYS be a R.E.A.L. Girl!

What are your plans for the future? I was recently named one of 30 Global Teen Leaders so I head to New York in a few weeks to participate in the Three Dot Dash Global Youth Summit. Then, in August, I start school at University of the South Pacific where I will continue to study journalism and law. I plan to continue working in media. One thing I have learned is that you really do reap what you sow, so I plan to keep up my efforts to make my community a better place to live. My new personal motto is “Resolve to SOLVE!” I challenge everyone reading this to find an area where you can make a positive difference. If we all do that, imagine what we can accomplish!