Aliana Gabrielle Avila Maciel, age 14, is the daughter of Avelino & Ana Teresa Maciel. A proud Luso member since birth, she has been on stage with Youth Council #2 of San Jose since the young age of 1½.
Aliana currently serves as her school’s president, is an officer of the California Junior Scholarship Federation (CJSF) and is a three-sport scholar-athlete competing in basketball, soccer, and track. Outside of school, she also plays club soccer for the TOROS in Morgan Hill, California.
Deeply connected to her Portuguese heritage, Aliana has been active in her community from a very young age. In addition to her involvement with Luso, she has served as sidemaid for the S.D.E.S. hall in Hollister, reigned as Queen for S.D.E.S. Hollister, and will again serve as sidemaid this coming summer for S.F.V. in Mountain, Villa Street. She has volunteered for numerous Portuguese/American organizations and has participated in Carnaval dancing since childhood.
This past summer, Aliana had the unforgettable opportunity to join a Marcha de São João in Terceira during Sanjoaninas—an experience she cherishes deeply.
For as long as she can remember, Aliana has dreamed of running for Luso Royalty. She has always admired the smart, brave, and strong leaders who came before her and is excited to begin her own journey.
