Bre Paquette Visits Section 36!

Section 36 had another visitor! Bre Paquette is passionate about mental health, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Kingston. 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 Bre Paquette visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Kingston crown? 

Everyone who does or has competed in pageants knows how much work goes into it. After being crowned Miss Kingston I celebrated with a bunch of my friends and we all relaxed and had a huge movie night! I was extremely tired from the day and I personally think the best way to celebrate is to get your favorite comfy clothes on and relax! 

What has been your most pleasant surprise about your time as Miss Kingston?

How many new people I've had the privilege of meeting or working with. My year so far I’ve made so many new relationships and have such great support. I’m so thankful that this organiztions opens so many doors for me and allows me these opportunities to meet such genuine, kind hearted people. 

What is something Ashley Marsh is doing as Miss New Hampshire that you would want to emulate? 

I love how Ashley is so active on social media. She creates such amazing posts and makes the greatest Tiktoks and I would definitely wanna keep up that energy. Social media can be such a powerful and positive place if used correctly and Ashley has been doing such an outstanding job and she created a very good habit as Miss New Hampshire. 

How did you select your social impact initiative? 

I always say I didn’t choose my social impact, It chose me. I grew up surrounded by many family members who struggled with mental health illnesses. My father suffered from depression and addiction with both alcohol and drugs. My mother struggled heavily with an anxiety disorder which I was diagnosed with in the 7th grade. When I had to grow up in a household with both parents who were challenged everyday with their mental health, it not only just impacted them but my brother and I as well. Though my situation was difficult, I learned a lot. I like to say that I am an extremely observant person and throughout all of this, I’ve gained a tremendous amount of wisdom and knowledge surrounding mental health issues and addiction which has made me the advocate I am today. Most of everything I talk about onstage and off stage comes from all personal experiences and what I’ve learned from it. It’s a part of who I am and I am extremely proud of it.

 

What is your favorite part about performing your talent on stage? 

Talent is my favorite part of competing. I always do a very upbeat, fierce, acrobatic and jazz dance. I think my talent is what showcases my personality the best. I’m also just a born performer. I’ve cheered and danced for most of my life and grew up center of the mat or stage performing. I’ve always had so much energy and sass that when I get out on stage I’m able to express it all and put on a show! I love when I dance onstage and I start to feel connected with

the audience and judges. I want them to not want to take their eyes off me and I love to entertain and my talent definitely reaches that goal. 

How would you complete the sentence, “ I get great satisfaction when” 

I get great satisfaction when someone tells me that my story helped them. Sometimes I struggle with mental health challenges even up to this day. And when I do, I start to lose a lot of confidence in myself as an advocate and role model in this organization. But when I hear from someone that something I said in an onstage interview, a post I posted on instagram, or even a video I’ve made impacted them and helped them, It makes everything all worth it. It’s why I do what I do, I want to share my story, my knowledge to anyone I can help. Even if it's the smallest nudge in the right direction, It makes me feel so indescribably happy. 

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

I would definitely want to be Moana. She is so brave and true to her heart and she reminds me a lot of myself. Moana is extremely strong-willed and family driven. She is a leader and when she knows what is right in her heart, she will follow it. Even when everyone around her may disagree, she will still get on the boat and do what she knows is right. She also seems like she has such a fun life! She sails on boats all day and is always at the beach with her cute animal sidekicks, sounds like a life I would absolutely love to have. 

If you had an extra ticket to see the Red Sox game at Fenway, who would you take with you? and why? 

I would 100%, without a doubt, take my brother. My Brother, Ben and I have always been best friends. Since I was born, he's always been the sweetest and most protective older brother. But he was always my best friend. We did everything together our entire lives. He included me in everything and even though now with us going to be 20 and 23, we are still so extremely close and there would be no one else I’d want to take with me. I know for a fact my brother would do everything in his power to make sure I was always laughing and having the best time. But I also know he would keep me safe so I wouldn’t have to worry, which is one of my favorite things about him. 

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

I love watching when they let kids or adults come out to the field and let them throw the first pitch. Typically these people get recognized for something they have done and I really love hearing all the amazing things that our community is doing.

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Those are great moments!

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

As Bre continues her time as Miss Kingston, I encourage you to check out her title's Instagram account. It's a great way to keep track of everything she has going on! 

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

Thanks again Bre, and good luck!

Kacie Flahive Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Kacie Flahive is a singer, Red Sox fan, and the current Miss Kingston. You may even remember her

from the picture with Section 36 that she submitted some time ago. I thought it would be fantastic to finally ask her if she'd like to visit with us to discuss those topics, and more. Thankfully she agreed. Hope you like the results as much as I do!

So, let’s see what happens when Kacie Flahive visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate being crowned Miss Kingston?

I bought myself a planner! Something I decided early on was that I

wanted to better myself this year and stay organized and on top of important dates. It was amazing bonding with my Miss Kingston/Seacoast family early on, especially because our Outstanding Teen titleholders are sisters! It really could not have worked out more perfectly, and I'm incredibly lucky to have such supportive people in my life. 

How did you choose your platform, “Preventing Animal Cruelty and Opting to Adopt”?

It was actually a pretty easy choice for me, as I have been a volunteer at the MSPCA at Nevin's Farm for two years. Also being a part of a family who has adopted animals in the past, promoting the adoption of animals has always been something I've been passionate about. It's a topic that's so close to my heart, and doesn't always get the public attention it deserves. 

As a talented singer, what is your favorite thing about performing in front of an audience?

I love the nerves I get every time I perform. No matter how many times I have sang on that stage, or sang the same song, I still get just as nervous every time. It used to be something that held me back a little, but now I use those jitters to push myself to have the best performance I can give. I like to think those nerves motivate me to give the audience a performance to remember. 

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

I'd really like to challenge myself! My first year in the program was a learning experience for me, but now that I'm more comfortable and have more confidence I'd love to see what else I can do with this wonderful program. A bit of a side goal, I'd like to increase the amount of events I sing the national anthem for. Being asked to sing the anthem for any of our sponsored events is such an honor, and I love being able to give back to our communities and our sponsors in that special way. 

What did you learn from the Miss Kingston competition that will help you compete for Miss NH?

I think the sheer size of competing in Miss Kingston was something that helped my get back into the Miss New Hampshire mindset. At that competition I believe we had somewhere around 19 contestants, which almost seems like nothing compared to the 28 that compete on the Miss NH stage. It was my first local of the year, so I'm thankful I had such talented girls to compete against and really bring me back into that level mindset you need for states. It was a good reminder for me that no matter the stage, no matter the contestants, and no matter the title; you always have to be bringing your best attitude and preparation to the competition. 

Photo by
Craig Michaud Photography

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

I wouldn't say it makes me nervous, but I'm interested to see how I leave my mark in the program now that I am officially past my "Rookie" year. We had a really young class last year, and a lot of new competitors (including myself). I'm excited to see how I can step up to the plate and compete now that I have some experience under my belt. 

Who was you favorite Red Sox player growing up? Why?

Curt Schilling! I honestly can't even give you a "why", but as a kid he was just always my favorite! I remember having a set of old baseball cards, and one of them was a special edition one for Schilling about the famed "bloody sock". I was only 5 during the 2004 ACLS game against the Yankees when that happened and the following history-making World Series; but it's a memory that I've always found near to my heart. Something I would always look forward to when I would visit my grandparents (especially my Bumpa, who is one of the biggest Red Sox fans I've ever known) was that whenever there were newspaper clippings of the Red Sox or Curt Schilling, they would always cut it out and leave it for me.  

What’s the best part about watching a game in Fenway Park?

Everything about being inside Fenway Park is magical. From my first time visiting as a 5-year-old, to my high school senior trip, that park has continued to amaze me. I might be a little biased, but Boston sports fans are (in my opinion) the best in the world. There's such a special feeling being surrounded by your fellow Sox fans, singing Sweet Caroline and eating Fenway Franks, that all you can concentrate on is being in that exact moment. I think "magical" is the best way to describe a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. 

What was your favorite memory from the 2017 Red Sox season?

My favorite memory was from the game I was able to attend with my senior graduating class. I just graduated from high school this past June, and being able to drive into Boston with your classmates and make memories at Fenway is something you look forward to since freshman year. Being only days before our graduation ceremony, it was such a cool experience to make some final memories with my classmates and teachers. Before that, the last time I attended a game at Fenway was in 2004. It almost felt fitting that I was able to mark my bridge into adulthood at a place that gave me some of my favorite childhood memories. I remember as we left after those extra innings, I looked back into the park one more time just to take it all in. Looking back on it now, I can feel myself feeling the excitement I had being there. 

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I couldn't have said that any better myself!

As always, I want to give huge thanks to Kacie for doing this interview. She did an incredible job. I also want to thank her for providing the pictures to accompany the interview. There were so many amazing shots, they really helped the interview tell its story.

As Kacie continues her time as Miss Kingston, I encourage you to follow her on the official Miss Kingston Facebook page. (As luck would have it, you can catch up with prior visitor Samantha there as well!)

And, of course, I want to wish Kacie luck next summer as she competes for the Miss New Hampshire crown. How awesome would it be for a Section 36 visitor to come out on top?

Thanks again Kacie, and good luck!