Jaylah Young Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Jaylah Young is passionate about helping young adults, a comedian, and the current Miss East Cascades. I was excited she was willing to talk with us and discuss those topics, and a few more!

So, let’s see what happens when Jaylah Young visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss East Cascades crown?

Well, In work at Dutch Bros Coffee and all of my coworkers had been listening to me talk about Miss East Cascades coming up, so the first thing I did was stop by my stand in my crown and sash so show them that it actually happened! Then I went home and hung out with my family, played some board games, and enjoyed a cherry Pepsi!

What did you find most surprising about your time as Miss East Cascades?

Photo by
Lynette Smith Photography

I found the lack of knowledge about the organization in my community to be most surprising. Most people that I would meet during appearances didn't know much about the Miss America Organization or that they have local representation! So, it was really awesome to be able to explain all the cool details of the organization to them and how it has changed my life.

What is your fondest memory of the Miss Washington competition?

I have two of my fondest memory of the Miss Washington competition that come to mind: One was celebrating my 21st birthday on the preliminary night and having cake and having the whole crowd at the visitation afterwards sing happy birthday to me. The other is from the Miss Washington spring forum where our main children's miracle network fundraiser was a lip sync battle that my family agreed to be a part of with me. I will always cherish the memory of them being my band-mates and performing one of my favorite songs, "Photograph" by Def Leppard. And we also won the lip sync battle!

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Adult(ish): The survival guide”?

My social impact initiative came to be because I had struggled personally with my transition into adult life and ended up finding myself living in my car because I had no idea how to budget to afford an apartment or even how to get the process started of finding and applying for one, let alone the thousands of other responsibilities we're just expected to know how to handle when we turn 18. I also knew that I definitely wasn't the only one who was having a rough time so I wanted to be part of the movement to help end the "lost" feeling people get after graduating from high school by teaching them life skills early on. 

As a comedian, what is your favorite part about performing on stage?

As a comedian, I love that my talent is "out of the box" and I love the compliments I receive from others about how cool it is that I didn't let not having a "traditional" talent stop me from competing in the Miss America Organization. I also love that it is a creative outlet for me to express my emotions and life experiences.

What is your personal fitness routine? 

I'll be honest, my personal fitness routine is nothing crazy or special, I just allow myself to workout when I feel like it and try to make healthier diet choices without restricting myself. I have worked really hard to accept that in the past I had set unrealistic expectations for myself and my body, that I am beautiful whether I weigh 120lbs or 150lbs, and that my worth and ability to be a good person isn't defined by a number on a scale or tape measure. My routine mainly consists of working out at home or at Worx (a wonderful Miss East Cascades sponsor) and trying to avoid foods that are high in sugar, fried, and dairy (fun fact I'm lactose intolerant).

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why? 

Well, Belle is my favorite Disney princess but I would want to be Elsa, because I see a lot of myself in her. She is strong, independent, reliable, and has such an amazing support system. 

If you had an extra ticket to a Red Sox vs Mariners game, who would you take with you? Why? 

I would definitely take my dad because he is a big Mariners fan and we always enjoy sports games together!

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience? 

I have ALWAYS dreamed of throwing out the first pitch at a Mariner's game!

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That would be a lot of fun!

As usual, I want to thank Jaylah for visiting and for sending along the great pictures that accompany the interview. They always make posts so much more fun!

As Jaylah wraps up her time as Miss East Cascades, I encourage you to check out her official instagram account, Facebook page, and website. (Especially check out the website if you think you might want to be the next Miss East Cascades!) It’s the best way to make sure you don’t miss out on everything she’ll have going on.

Thanks again Jaylah!