Miss Boise: Shine on stage and off

For the last 3 years I have been involved in an event called Fashion for a Cure. This is a fashion show that is sponsored by a local photographer, Samuel Marvin Photography, and raises funds for a charitable cause. The organization that we partnered with this year was the Epilepsy Foundation of Idaho.

My role every year is to meet with the models (high school seniors) in groups to go over walking the runway. First, I introduce myself to them, talk about the Miss Idaho Organization, talk about my platform, and then we get to the real reason why we are there: walking gracefully on the runway.

As a contestant for the Miss Idaho competition on June 17 and 18, I have learned a thing or two about walking (and falling, unfortunately). It would be easy to say “walking is something you learn when you are two and that’s the end of it” and, I mean, yes- the mechanics of walking are learned young, but polishing those skills can have unexpected results.

(Fashion for a Cause 2016 Group 2)

(Fashion for a Cause 2014 Group 2- as Miss Syringa)

(All of the models from Fashion for a Cause 2016)

(Fashion for a Cause 2014 Group 2)

I was talking to a group of girls for the show this year about techniques to stay balanced in high heels, how to add your personality to your strut, and what kind of moves translate well on stage… at least that is how it started. I continued to talk about how, as bizarre as it sounds, this skill set does not just benefit you when you are in a fashion show or on a pageant stage- but instead everyday of your life.

Now stay with me, because I know that probably sounds like a stretch…but it is true and I will tell you why. The stress of high pressure situations like that job interview, or networking and social events, for me- approaching people for interviews, cannot easily be replicated. This is especially true when first impressions are on the line and in an instant you need to be able to convey your genuine self. When a person is able to walk into a room, command respect and be approachable, just off of their body language, I don’t think that anyone would argue saying that person isn’t a leader.

The Miss Idaho competition is what I believe to be a fairly accurate representation of these skills. In interview, obviously you are able to use multiple levels of human interaction to get across who you are, but the on stage portions of competition like “life style and fitness in swimwear” and “evening gown” are unique in that all you have is your nonverbal communication.

(Fashion for a Cause 2014 group 3)

(Fashion for a Cause 2016 Fashion show)

I have seen this necessary skill set developed over the time that I have competed in the Miss Idaho Organization. The phrase “fake it until you make it” actually comes to mind. When I am in those high pressure situations and am letting my own self-doubt take ahold of me, my best self becomes my habit. When I am nervous, when I am tired, when I am scared, I can still show confidence and accuracy because that is my default.

The time I have spent competing within the Miss Idaho Organization has taught me to be clear and concise through my words, but I can say just as much without saying anything at all. 

Brittany Lock - Miss Boise 2016

MISS EAGLE: THE MISS AMERICA CROWN

Service, scholarship, style and success are the four points of the Miss America crown. They are what define the Miss America Organization and young women must excel in each one of these categories in order to do well in the competition. 

Service- My personal favorite of all! In 1989 the Miss America Organization created the platform. The idea that each contestant would discover what social issue she is passion about and is relevant to the world. I chose an issue that has deeply impacted my family and me in a negative way. By starting my platform I turned the issue into something hopeful. I now fight for a cause and by being a titleholder I have seen mountains move in my family’s life and in my community. I love my platform and the idea that each woman gets to choose her own and develop what sets her soul on fire. Each titleholder is a leader in her community and gets to inspire others through her personal platform.

Scholarship- Education has always been a priority to me. From a young age my parents instilled in me the importance of education; I always knew that I wanted to attend a four year university to get my degree after high school. Due to the fact that the Miss America Organization is the number one provider of scholarships to young women today, definitely was a draw for me to start competing. I adore how this organization encourages young women to be educated and succeed academically. By doing this they stand up to the stereotypes some of society has towards pageant girls. 

Style- I absolutely love fashion; we are able to convey to people what we like without even saying a word. Each contestant develops a personal style that shows their personality. In each phase of competition contestants have the chance to share their style to the judges with what evening gown, talent costume, swimsuit and interview outfit they pick. I like to think of my personal style like a signature, something that is unique, but when people see it, they will be able to recognize that it’s mine. As cheesy as it may sound, I think any outfit looks better with a warm smile and some confidence.

Success- By competing in the Miss American Organization, you are bound for success. Through scholarships that help contestants pay for college, I have gained skills that have prepared me for a career after school. I am an engaged member in my community which has opened doors for future work. I have gained professional skills and stay up to date on issues that are important to society. By being involved with this organization, I have been able to make a difference in other people’s lives, as well as people making a difference in mine. As a result of this, I have made a deeper investment in my community and my life has been changed in a positive way.

Miss Eagle 2016

Madison Treyz

Choose to be a Ten

It's been 11 months since I was crowned Miss Gem County 2015; my year is winding down. I’ve had an incredible year with some great appearance opportunities and service hours. I just finished my first year of college at the University of Idaho and so I’m back in the area for the summer.

I thought this would be a good chance to write about my experiences from my first year away from home. My first year in college was truly amazing. All my life, I heard people say “College is where you’ll find yourself,” or “You’ll really figure out who you are in college.” And now, a year in, I couldn’t agree with them more.

When I first went to college, I thought events from my past, especially negative ones, defined the person I was. I felt “stuck,” like I couldn’t move on from my past and that it was holding me back from being the person I wanted to be.

A few months into college however, my perspective started to change. My roommate and very good friend Mariah took a “Love and Happiness” class our first semester of college. Quite frequently, she and I would discuss the topics she learned in that class and relate them to our own lives. We started theorizing on the topics of love and happiness.

Meanwhile, our group of friends from high school were all chatting on Facebook in one group chat. Ironically, one of them asked the group how happy we were on a scale of one to 10. The answers from the rest of the group ranged from two to nine, but Mariah and I were the only ones who said 10.

We did a little experiment and asked friends around campus what their number would be. Yet again, the results were the same: two to nine with the very rare exception of 10.

Mariah and I contemplated on this for a while, wondering why we were 10s and why it was so rare to be a 10. We came to the conclusion that the reason people don’t say 10 is because they don’t think they can be. They don’t think it’s attainable, or possible. There’s always something that can be improved on, or better in their life, which makes their life less than a 10.

You always hear people say that “it’s okay to not be okay.” While I can empathize and understand all of these perspectives, I’ve chosen to take a different train of thought.

The reason I’m a 10 is because in my mind, being anything less would mean I’m not being grateful enough for my life and what I already have. For example, while one person might only be a seven because they’ve had a stressful day at college, I would still be a stressed-out 10 because I would be embracing the challenge and the fact that I’m even there, learning and attending college.

Your happiness and contentment is all a choice and state of mind.

So why not choose to be a 10 if you want to be? I think contentment is being more grateful for the good than sad about the bad. Once I realized this, I decided to be as happy and grateful for everything as I could - the good, the bad, the challenges, the stressfulness, and the beauty of it all. I started seeing the good in everything. And I decided I didn’t have to be a product of my past like I had originally thought. Just because something bad happened to you last year, or last week, or even 10 minutes ago, you can rise back up and still choose to be a 10 out of 10.  

After this change of heart, what happened next was even more amazing.

I found I had more love in my heart than I ever thought possible. And I think it was because I loved myself and life so much more. I was kinder, more confident, more mature, braver and more self-actualized.

For a good part of my past, I had been an over-analyzer. I lived a lot in my own head, and couldn’t quite find clarity in life. But changing my mindset and deciding to be as positive as I could be resulted in me being authentically and unapologetically myself.

It also helped that I found the greatest group of friends I could have ever hoped for who fully accept me for who I am.

Having this mindset has increased my passion for everything.

I refreshed my drive in school and I’ve decided to double major in vocal performance and international studies. My ambition is to teach music to children and do humanitarian work in developing nations because I want to serve and broaden my reach.

My first stop is this summer: my family and some friends are going to Sri Lanka and we plan to do some service work there.

I’ve been running, lifting weights and playing soccer and piano with more intensity than ever. I was cast in an opera production back at school, and I embraced every minute of it. I was on the Relay for Life committee, as part of my Miss Idaho platform, and helped raise over $30,000 by fundraising and advertising. I held a canned food drive in Emmett for Miss America’s National Day of Service, volunteered at a funrRun, and was part of the Gem County Business Expo.

Now, I just have one big hurdle in front of me to get over. As of this week, I will no longer reside in Emmett. My mom sold our house and the process has been harder than I expected. Since we lost our dad almost two years ago, I’ve felt like the house and property is what I had left of him. This is the house that we built together, the house I grew up in and loved and cherished.

But I’ve learned that letting go is a very empowering feeling. Today, I had the empty house all to myself and time to really ponder and think. I walked around our beautiful 5 acres of luscious trees and grass, and I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude.

I was grateful for the memories.

I was grateful for the times that I raced my dad in the field.

I was grateful for the times that we sled down our hill in the snowy winter or skated on our icy canal.

I remembered building fences with my dad around our pastures, and shelves in our shop.

I remembered when my little brother and I would go collect the chicken’s eggs, or go feed our rabbits outside.

I remembered running through the sprinklers, and watching the sunset kiss our beautiful Idahome.

I remembered climbing trees, and all the kittens that were born, all the squirt-gun fights we had, all the dancing, all the laughs, and all the good times.

And, for all that, I am grateful. We may have built this house, but in turn it really built me. So I’m still a 10 out of 10.

Besides, I have a strangely sweet feeling that there are far greater things in my future than anything I could ever leave behind. All that matters is taking that step, however simple or complex it might be, and moving on. So you ask me what I learned in college? I think I learned how to live.

-Miss Gem County 2015, Jessica Ellis

You’re That Girl….

“What gets scary is when your self-worth is tied up in what strangers think of you.”

~ Emma Watson

My entire life I have heard, “Oh! you’re that girl that does ballet.” Loving ballet and what it has done for my life I never saw this as a negative saying. Now years later, being 21 and in college, I have adopted two more “You’re that girl” sayings. All three unfortunately can lack respect from people that look from the outside in with an uneducated perspective. After explaining these crucial parts of my life I hope that it can be understood how important and respectable being “that girl” means to me. 

“You’re That Girl That Does Ballet” 

Attempting to sum up 13 years of my life in a few short paragraphs is quite the challenge! Ballet has been a part of my identity since I was eight years old. It was difficult as a child to comply with the mental and physical discipline ballet required. From an early age this taught me to work hard and never to give up. Don’t get me wrong there were several days of frustration and tears but those moments were followed by moments of triumph. 

Ballet has opened several doors for me in my life. I have trained with three professional schools over summers, won several awards and danced leading roles in my studios productions. Yet, these moments aren’t what have held the most weight. My ballet instructor, Ceci Klein, is one of the most influential people I’ve had in my life. She saw potential and believed in me even when I didn’t. She pushed me to moments of extreme defeat that ultimately made me strive to succeed. Ceci taught me more than just Plié and proper technique. She taught me respect, class, and perseverance. These qualities and many more are what make me proud of what I have accomplished over the years. 

Ballet isn’t for the weak at heart, mind or body. When someone watches ballet it looks effortless and graceful, almost easy! Know that this is what ballet dancers train to do hours a day for countless years. Quoting Ceci, “We are in the business of creating beauty so we shouldn’t look life buffalo tromping through the mud!”. I remember Ceci every time I take the stage and always embrace the hundreds of other lessons ballet has taught me. Being “that girl that does ballet” is something I am extremely honored to be.

“You’re That Girl That’s in a Sorority” 

(Cue the high pitched, valley girl voice) …..OMG…. I’m in a sorority! 

Alright, back to normal. There are so many stereotypes attached to women that are members of sororities and it truly streams from the media. Through TV shows like “Greek” and movies like “Legally Blonde” (both which I have watched and love) give the impression that sorority women are superficial, dumb and are both obsessed with guys and partying. Even being new to a sorority at Boise State University I am the first to say that these are proven false. 

I always knew I wanted to “Go Greek” in college yet it was put on hold as I made the decision to begin my college career at a two-year community college. I graduated with my Associates Degree from North Idaho College in the Spring of 2015 and transferred to Boise State University in the Fall of 2015. Recruitment was a whirlwind of a weekend where I had the chance to meet all the sororities on campus and go through the process of finding my home within one. At the end of that weekend I became of new member of the Theta Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha. 

My first year in ASA has been incredible! It has provided me with chances to be involved on campus and in the community. Every sorority and fraternity on campus has a philanthropy they support though volunteering, raising money and/or creating awareness. ASA supports Special Olympics, Girls on the Run and the S. June Smith Center. One of my favorite parts about being Greek at Boise State is how supportive the Greek community is of one another, even if you aren’t part of the same organization. It’s understood that each sorority and fraternity is trying to make their positive mark and a difference in the world around us. Being in a sorority also requires that you maintain a good standing in grades, are active in community service and are involved in making improvements within the chapter. 

However, the one thing that I love most about being a sorority woman is being able to surround myself with other incredible women that embody the same characteristics as I and strive for the same college experience. In this year alone I have met some of the most remarkable friends that I will hold on to for the rest of my life. As a transfer student they took me in and we have been making memories ever since. My sorority Big, in particular, is someone I have respected and looked up to since the first time I saw her. Literally, I hadn’t even met her, just creepily admired her from afar. Taylor is driven, intelligent, kind, stylish and honestly someone I am blessed to call a dear friend. I owe Alpha Sigma Alpha much gratitude for introducing me to life long friends and for that I will gladly be called “that girl in a sorority”. 

http://alphasigmaalphabsu.tumblr.com/ 

 “You’re That Girl That Does Pageants"

When I tell someone I compete in pageants they usually come back with a comment about “Toddlers in Tiaras”. Sigh…. This time last year I knew very little about pageantry and was just starting on a wonderful journey within the Miss America Organization. I decided to compete at my first local in March of 2015 and I was clueless! I didn’t have pageant experience but I knew it was something I had thought about doing since I was a little girl. I would watch the Miss America pageant on television and could only dream of what it would be like to represent my state on that stage. I wouldn’t have ever though my dream could become a reality in the next few years!  

Now just 14 months after my first local pageant I look back and am in awe of how this organization has impacted my life. I have met so many wonderful, smart and driven women, have been able to impact my community and grow as an individual. Being awarded first runner up at Miss Idaho 2015 was a blessing and being able to represent Idaho at the National Sweetheart Pageant was an experience I’ll never forget. Having been crowned National Sweetheart 2015 was the cherry on top of a week where I was blessed with friendships from all over the country and experienced growth in my abilities. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to be involved with the Miss Idaho Organization, work on the goals I have set forth and strive to represent Idaho on the Miss America stage. 

I admire the women that are in the Miss America Organization and am thankful that we represent women of service, style, scholarship and success. From wearing a crown out in the community I have learned that you never judge a book by its cover! I proudly wear my crown and represent the organization with the upmost pride, fully accepting the title of “the girl that does pageants”. 

No matter if you’re that girl that does gymnastics or that guy that does crossfit embracing what is important to you is a must. Not everyone is going to understand or even respect everything you do but as long as it is bettering your life and there is passion behind it, stay true to yourself. Be unique. Be happy. Be you. 

Miss Tri-Counties 2016

Kylee Solberg 

Miss Eagle: The Real Side of Pageantry

Whenever I tell someone that I compete in pageants, I get responses and questions that vary from, “Oh! Like the movie Miss Congeniality,” to, “Are the girls mean?” Well, I am here to show the real side of pageantry. Being involved in the Miss America Organization since the age of 17 has changed my life for the better. I’m here to clear up what it is like to compete against strong, talented women of prestige. I’ve heard people say that pageants are degrading to women. However, competing has instilled the confidence in me to change the world around me. It has opened my eyes to be more involved in my community and to find my value. A myth that I have had to clear up several times is that this is strictly just a beauty pageant, focusing on looks and looks alone, but I emphasis the fact that I compete in a scholarship organization. The MAO is the nation’s leading advocate for women’s education. And it is also the largest provider of scholarship assistance to young women in the United States. Each year, the organization awards millions of dollars in scholarship to make it possible for students like me to go to college. I am beyond thankful for the financial support I have received. Another myth is that none of the girls that compete with each other get along, and that backstage, everyone fights. This one is probably the farthest from the truth. I have met some of my best friends from competing in pageants. We support, love and encourage each other. We build each other up, not tear each other down with petty comments and mean attitudes. The reality of it is, only one girl is going to win and walk away with a crown. But whether or not I win, I walk away with lifelong friends.

Miss Eagle 2016

Madison Treyz