Join Us For The Next
Mrs International Pageant
July 23rd and 24th , 2026
IN Chicago (Skokie), Illinois
Raliene Banks - 3rd Runner-Up
1. Which celebrity do you think you look like?
On a trip to Hawaii from Asia, Josh took unusually long checking us in at the hotel. While heading to our room, he chuckled and said, “We didn’t have a reservation tonight. We went back in time when we crossed the international date line.” I forgot about the time change and made the reservation for the wrong day! We laugh about this because as a pilot, I’ve travelled internationally a lot and should’ve known better!
2. Which do your prefer? Talking on the phone or texting?
One – dishwasher. I grew up in Guam, where dishwashers are a rare luxury. I didn’t have one growing up and spent over 1,000 hours doing dishes by hand! My hands are so thankful to finally have a machine that cleans all my dishes for me. Two – my espresso machine. I LOVE lattes but hate buying them at coffee shops, so I make them myself. Find out why I avoid buying lattes here: https://raebanks.com/the-130-latte
3. What’s something you only do when you get bored?
My daughter, Faith, had a congenital condition and passed when she was 1 week old. Through my grief, people would tell me, “you’re so strong,” but I didn’t always feel strong…I miss Faith with all my heart. My strength was built by my support system: friends, family and the medical community who supported Faith’s journey. I named my platform “Journey For Faith” to honor the journey we all took to welcome her to the world.
4. Are you overly loyal to any clothing brands?
I’m grateful to have spent 15 years developing leadership skills as an Air Force officer because advocating for Faith’s medical care required leadership. Faith was born with extra DNA, which caused her organs to fail. We had to make tough decisions for Faith and lead her medical team in providing the care and life we wanted for her. We’re currently using this experience to teach other families to advocate for their medically complex children.
5. What is the biggest risk you have ever taken?
Adding insects to my diet. Insects are a sustainable source of protein, but I just can’t get over the aversion of eating bugs. I had to attend survival school as part of my military training, and while there, our instructor made us eat ants. Ants aren’t too bad. They taste like lemon drops. But…I wouldn’t voluntarily eat ants and just can’t get over the thought of eating bugs!
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Roanoke,
Virginia 24025
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