Meet Miss Idaho 2009 - Kara Jackson

Kara Jackson is from Nampa, Idaho where she won her local title and first began developing her platform, "Modern Agriculture — Supporting and Sustaining Society".

• Age: 22
• Education: Senior at Boise State University working on a Bachelor of Science in Biology; Graduate of Mountain View High School
• Scholastic/Career Ambitions: To obtain a Doctorate of Pharmacy and become a Clinical Pharmacist
• Talent: Viola / Monti's Czardas
• Scholastic Honors: Dean's Scholarship; Idaho Top Scholar; Taco Bell Leadership Scholarship; Biology, Music and Health Science Scholarships; Western Studies Scholarship; Dean's List; Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Member
• Leadership Roles: 2007 Idaho National FFA Officer Candidate; 2005-2006 Idaho FFA State Reporter; Principle and co-principle violist in Boise State University Symphony
• Accomplishments: Ideas Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Fellowship 2008; 1st place 2008 INBRE Conference Research Poster Presentation; Viola Performance Scholarship; 2006 American FFA Degree; 2006 2nd place Boise State University Speech Showcase; 2005 Gold National FFA Parliamentary Procedure Team
• Interesting Facts: Grew up on a small farm; have ridden and shown horses for 11 years; performed at more than 100 weddings, Wheel of Fortune College Week Contestant, won close to $13,000 in cash and prizes, including a trip to Hawaii; owner of a rescued Jack Russell Terrier; conversational in American Sign Language
• Employment: Intern, Breast Cancer Research; Violist, Silhouette String Ensemble; Associate, Blue & Orange Store

How has the world you come from shaped your dreams and aspirations?
Being a true farm girl (with the scars and bruises to prove it), I've had the distinct opportunity to experience hard work, perseverance, and independence. From shearing and halter-breaking market lambs, bucking hay bales, chasing and feeding pigs, to training and showing my Quarter Horse, my parents taught me responsibility and the value of hard work. This enabled me to develop an incredibly strong work ethic, with dedication to my goals and dreams. These traits, along with the strong values my parents instilled in me, have taught me to develop a dream and find a way to achieve it no matter how great the dream is. Although things may not always work out the way I hope they will, my experiences on the farm have allowed me to understand that if I don't try, I will never succeed. Life is not about the trophies, but about the personal growth you make in the pursuit of your dreams, and without having the experiences I had as an Idaho farm girl, I would have never come to that realization.

Of all the ways you could succeed in your life, why have you chosen to succeed in the Miss America Pageant?
I strongly believe in becoming a multi-faceted, well-rounded young woman, and I personally seek opportunities that will allow me to accomplish this goal. This is also exactly what the Miss America Scholarship Organization is about: young women becoming accomplished in many areas of their lives, developing an artistic talent, achieving physical fitness, serving their communities, furthering their communication skills, pursuing an education, while also acquiring the grace and beauty of an American woman. These are all the qualities that I want to possess, and because of that, the goals of the Miss America Organization align with the goals I have developed for myself in life.

What social issue, other than your platform, will have the greatest impact on your generation and why?
Thanks to the benefits of technology and the advances being made in the science world, my generation will be able to greatly benefit from the forward progress made in modern medicine. With the potential of finding cures for many kinds of cancer to pharmaceuticals that will help us increase our longevity, the impact that scientific advancements will make on the quality, length and physical abilities of life for my generation will be incredible. As a young woman striving to become a scientist, I have seen the enhancements and improvements we can make through science, and this will allow my generation to be the first to see that the impossible can actually be reality.