Kyra Bake Visits Section 36!

Photo by Randi Davies

Section 36 has another visitor! Kyra Bake is passionate about connecting generations, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Western Idaho. I was excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. I am also excited that she is our first visitor from the state of Idaho!

So, let's see what happens when Kyra Bake Visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Western Idaho crown?

The night I won my crown was so fun and exciting. All the girls who competed in both the Miss and Teen competition were invited to go to an after party at a local pizzeria. When we got there our directors handed out some additional awards and scholarships to other candidates while Lacie Willet, Miss Three Rivers, and I got ready to film a live interview with a local news station. Even though I had just done well in competition, I remember feeling like everything I had learned about speaking calm and confidently had gone out the window. I was so excited and overwhelmed that I said the wrong name for my social impact initiative, Generation Connection, and was all over the place with my responses. Looking back, it was a funny situation, but I wouldn’t change anything that happened that night because it showed my genuine excitement toward winning my first local title. Afterwards I got to talk to another reporter and answer some questions for the newspaper. We talked about my social impact initiative and my plans for my year of service. The rest of the night was dedicated to eating, playing arcade games, and talking with members of my community. It was such a fun night that I’ll never forget. 

What has been the most pleasant surprise about your time as Miss Western Idaho?

There have been so many wonderful surprises that I’ve experienced while being Miss Western Idaho. One thing I found interesting was all the women I knew that have shared that title with me in the past, including my local director, Mardine Olsen, and the current Miss Idaho, Grace Zimmerman. I feel really lucky to share my title with such beautiful, strong women. Another surprise that I certainly did not expect was the extra time that I have had with my title. The original date for my state competition was set for early June 2020, but it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Our state directors have not decided a new date yet, but I’m anticipating competing for Miss Idaho sometime in the summer of 2021. Until then, I will be spending my year of service mostly as a virtual titleholder. 

What did you learn about yourself at the Miss Western Idaho competition that will help you when you compete for Miss Idaho? 

My biggest lesson to learn as Miss Western Idaho was the importance of being genuinely myself.  I know that there are young girls who look up to me and see me as a role model. I don’t ever want to set a precedent that a woman has to look or act a certain way to be successful. I truly believe that the best thing that a woman can be is confidently herself. I am intentional in showing the everyday version of myself online so that young women can see that they don’t need to be glamorous every day. I think it is important to teach young women that natural beauty and an unorganized bedroom is just as lovely as a full face of make-up and a fun venue. My hope is that if I become the next Miss Idaho, others will not just see a beauty queen, but instead as a woman that they can relate to. 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Generation Connection”? 

I created my social impact initiative, Generation Connection,

because I am passionate about fostering a better environment for senior citizens and because I believe that there is a great benefit for getting younger generations involved with seniors. I spent a few years as a hospice volunteer in my hometown before I moved for college. During those years I got to build relationships with people much older than me and learn from them. I noticed that I became a much more understanding and empathetic person because of these relationships. Not only that, but the hospice team was able to see a noticeable difference in mood with patients who had been assigned a youth volunteer. Both the young and the old received help from establishing an intergenerational relationship. My goal as Miss Western Idaho is to help encourage the youth to reach out to the elderly and make those healthy relationships. 

As a talented dancer, what do you enjoy most about performing on stage? 

I love dancing. To me, dance is an outlet that allows me to use my extra energy and emotion in a healthy way. One of my favorite things about dancing on stage is sharing art that I have practiced and worked hard on. There’s something really exciting about hearing people cheer and clap after you nail a part in a dance. It makes me feel alive. 

What is your personal fitness routine? 

In all honesty, I do not have a rigid fitness routine. My method of being healthy and active is listening to my body and doing what makes me feel good. Most of the time that looks like going on walks and hikes, taking dance classes, and stretching before bed. I don’t believe in a “perfect” body type. Instead, I train my body so that it can move and function in a way that makes me happy. For example, I’ll work on leg exercises for the sake of being able to leap higher, rather than for the sake of slimming down. At the end of the day, I think it’s important to do what makes you feel good. 

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

My favorite Disney princess is Rapunzel. I love her cheery attitude and fierce determination. I would love to be her for a week and go on her adventures. Not to mention all that beautiful hair! 

If you had an extra ticket to a Boise Hawks game, who would you bring with you? Why?

If I could take anyone with me to a Boise Hawks game, I would take my youngest sister. She currently plays softball and I like to watch her play. I would love to let her see some professionals play! 

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That sounds like a great idea! 

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

As Kyra continues her time as Miss Western Idaho, I encourage you to follow her Instagram account. It's a great way to keep track of everything she has going on!

I also definitely want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss Idaho title. It would be wonderful to have the first Section 36 visitor wear that crown!

 

Thanks again Kyra, and good luck!