Madi Andreason Visits Section 36!

Section 36 had another visitor! Madi Andreason is passionate about fitness, a talented debater, and the current Miss Idaho. I was so excited she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Madi Andreason visits Section 36! 

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Idaho crown?
Sushi is my favorite food ever so my family and friends took me to an amazing celebratory dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant.

What part of the upcoming Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

Making sure that you are representing your state in the best possible way on a national stage can bring on nerves and pressure but I am looking at this journey as a gratifying experience that is full of opportunities and excitement rather than nervousness.

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

My top 3 goals: Raise $5,000 for the American Heart Association, host my own 5k to raise money for students who can’t afford to play sports, and complete at least 300 appearances throughout the state of Idaho. 

How did you select your community Service Initiative, “Get Up and Get out”?

Fitness has always been a big part of my life, but I was seeing a lot of negative stigmas and stereotypes shed towards fitness. I created Get Up and Get Out to highlight the positives of fitness and incorporate both body and mind into the equation. 

You are currently majoring in paralegal studies and political science at ISU. What drew you to that field?

I was drawn to Paralegal Studies and Political Science because I have always wanted to be part of the people who take action and create change. I was a member and president of my speech and debate team in high school and staying up to date and forming opinions on current events and learning how to eloquently transform argumentative points into productive conversation drew me to this field. 

What is your personal fitness routine?

Fitness looks different for me every day. I love lifting weights at the gym but I have also been a long distance runner my whole life and plan on running a marathon soon so I have been training for that. I also like to balance out those impactful workouts with low impact workouts such as hiking and pilates.

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

I would want to be Merida from brave. She is my favorite Disney princess because of her sense of humor and how connected she is to the outdoors. Plus, who wouldn’t want a bear as their best friend? 

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

I would take Jennifer Lawrence. She is my favorite celebrity because she is hilarious and so genuine. I know she would come up with so many baseball puns and we could definitely share a good laugh together.

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

I would love to throw the first pitch at a baseball game. I pride myself on my pitching skills on Wii Sports Baseball so I’d like to see how that translates over into real.

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Oh, those must be some mad skills!

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

I also want to wish her luck when she competes for Miss America! It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Madin during her journey. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account and website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on, and you'll be sure not to miss anything. And, of course, you should check out her fundraiser link for AHA to help her reach her fundraising goal.

Thanks again Madi! And, good luck!

Sarah Jensen Visits Section 36!

Section 36 had another visitor! Sarah Jensen is a passionate math teacher, a talented pianist, and the current Miss Idaho. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Sarah Jensen visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Idaho crown?

I celebrated winning Miss Idaho by enjoying time with my friends, family, and community. I have competed 5 times for the title of Miss Idaho, and I never would've won without their support.. This is just as much their victory as it is mine.

What is something that Ayriss Torres did as Miss Idaho that you would like to repeat or expand on?

Ayriss started a podcast for her social impact, the Equity Project. I would love to do something similar with mine!

What did you learn about yourself at the Miss Idaho competition that will help you at Miss America?

I learned not to doubt myself. There were areas of competition that I felt like I could have done better, but at the end of the night, I was award 3 preliminary awards and the title of Miss Idaho. 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Why Math Matters”?

I am a math teacher. I wanted to find a way to inspire my students to fall in love with math. In order to do that, I started interviewing people of different professions about how they use math in their careers. I started a Youtube channel and I made a website (whymathmatters.weebly.com) to showcase the interviews. :)

What do you enjoy most about performing your talent on stage?

I LOVE performing onstage. I took piano lessons for 13 years. I love that the Miss America Organization gives me the opportunity to showcase all of those years of hard work.

As a math teacher. What do you enjoy about that field?

I love the idea that I am making an impact on students' lives. I get to be a consistent part of their daily lives, and that is really powerful.

What is your personal fitness routine?

I go to Orange Theory Fitness 4 times per week. It is high-intensity interval training mixed with weights. I really enjoy it!

If you had an extra ticket to see a baseball game between the Boise Hawks and the Idaho Falls Chukars, who would you take with you? Why?

I would probably take my golden retriever, Finn. ;) I understand that they may not allow dogs... but I think she would have a really great time!

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

I would really like the opportunity to throw the first pitch at a baseball game! I have always wanted to do this, and now that I am Miss Idaho, I am hoping to make that happen. 

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There must be a dog at the park day or something so Finn could go! 

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

As Sarah continues her time as Miss Idaho, I encourage you to follow her title's Instagram. You should also check out the official Miss Idaho website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Sarah, and good luck!

Ayriss Torres Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Ayriss Torres is passionate about closing wage gaps, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Idaho. I was excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Ayriss Torres visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Idaho crown? 

My family and I went to dinner where they surprised me with a crown bracelet and the Steakhouse staff wrote me a big 'Congratulations' in sprinkles on my dessert! 

Do you have a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Idaho?

I'm looking forward to visiting the smaller communities in Idaho, specifically in the Southeast area where I'm from. I'm excited to travel around the state and provide financial/wealth management education to every Idahoan I can in the hopes of closing our state's racial, gender, and generational wealth gaps!

What part of the Miss America competition are you most nervous about? I'm not a very nervous person, definitely more excited! 

I'm thrilled to be competing at the 100th Anniversary competition with some very amazing women-including the 3 other women who are also active military members like myself! 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “The Equity Project”? 

I currently work as a loan officer, and over the past year, I have noticed how little money and finance is talked about or taught in Idaho. Lessons like saving, lending, and investing are not taught in schools, making it harder for our hard working communities to grow out of poverty. Also, with a large Hispanic population in Idaho, they are very underserved and underrepresented in the wealth industry, making it even harder for them to gain the financial help they need when it comes to purchasing vehicles, homes, and breaking generational wealth gaps. I wanted to create an organization that didn't just talk about the Equity of one group of people, but one that could help further the equality of every struggling community; and wage gaps are one of the easiest things to address and change. 

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

Showing my personality and having fun with my dancing! 

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

Probably Buzz Lightyear so I could go on secret missions in uncharted space! 

You currently serve as a Civil Affairs Specialist with the US Army. What is that experience like? 

My job is very similar to the Peace Corps but for the Army, and I absolutely love the job! I went on my first service mission in 2015 to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to help rebuild a school and soup kitchen after hurricane Odile, and I have dedicated my life to service since!

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

I would take my dad because he is a HUGE baseball fan- he currently lives in St. Louis, MO and loves going to watch the Cardinals!

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

I've always wanted to catch a pop fly! 

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I'd like to do that too! 

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

As Ayriss continues her time as Miss Idaho, I encourage you to follow her title's Instagram and Facebook account. You can also check out the Miss Idaho website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

 
I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be fantastic to have another section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Ayriss, and good luck!

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!