Alyana Simpron Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Alyana Simpron is passionate about protecting refugees, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Dakota Harvest. I was thrilled that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more!

So, let's see what happens when Alyana Simpron visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Dakota Harvest crown? 

It was the weekend of my university's homecoming when the Miss Grand Forks Scholarship Competition was held. I celebrated by meeting up with friends that I had not seen in a while and was in town for homecoming! It was a great way to celebrate after I won the title of Miss Dakota Harvest! 

What did you learn about yourself at the Miss Dakota Harvest competition that will help you whenever you get to compete for Miss North Dakota? 

I learned that I do have the ability to have a voice for issues that I am passionate about and people are willing to listen. I learned that when you show confidence in what you are speaking about then it gives credibility to your opinion and passion for the cause that you are talking about! 

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Dakota Harvest? 

My goal is to continue advocating for refugees and what they can bring to this country. There is uncertainty about refugees coming to the U.S. and I want to continue educating others about why the U.S. should continue to welcome refugees into the country.

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Welcoming Refugees: A New Path to a New Journey”? 

I selected this as my social impact initiative after I had the opportunity to volunteer and work with refugees from the organization Global Friends Coalition in Grand Forks, ND during my schooling in the UND occupational therapy program.I saw the benefits of helping them through that transition as I understand what it is like moving into a new country as a first generation immigrant myself and being exposed to a new culture. It is important to have the resources and support during the transition phase for new refugees in the first 60 days. 

What do you enjoy about performing your talent on stage? 

I enjoy showing how much fun hip hop is and I love hearing the comment from the audience that they wanted to dance with me. I love hearing that and I want to show that through my talent of how much fun hip hop is!

You had the opportunity to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. What was that experience like? 

It was an amazing and memorable experience! I spent a week with the Macy's Great American Marching Band as a dancer and we had a week full of rehearsals. When it came to parade day we had to wake up around 2am and get ready for rehearsals at the Macy's Star where filming happened. We were the opening number that year and it was great to see all of the people who came together for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade! I got a chance to see celebrities such as Ariana Grande who were on the parade route. I had a lot of fun and it is an experience I will cherish forever! 

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

I would be Raven Symone from That's So Raven because I think it would be awesome to have psychic abilities and live in San Francisco for a week! 

If you had an extra ticket to a Minnesota Twins game, who would you take with you? Why? 

I would definitely take my dad as he has never been to a baseball game since we have moved to the U.S. I think it would be a fun experience to showcase this old time American tradition!

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

I enjoyed when the Minnesota Twins held college nights! I went to a game that was a University of North Dakota (UND) night and it was a great way to connect with alumni and current students from my university in my favorite city! 

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That sounds like a great time!

As always, I want to thank Alyana for visiting with us, and for sending along the amazing pictures to go with the interview.

As Alyana continues her time as Miss Dakota Harvest, I encourage you to check out her official Facebook page. It’s a great way to make sure you don’t miss out on anything she’ll have going on. 

I also want to wish her the best of luck whenever she competes for the Miss North Dakota title. It would be wonderful to have a Section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Alyana, and good luck!