Local Miss Yuma title holders share thoughts on responsibility

While the new lineup of Miss Yumas are to head to state in June, some of the title holders shared some words on what they learned from pageantry when it comes to servicing the community.

“As a teen I recognize that they have put a lot of responsibility on us,” said Miss City of Yuma’s Outstanding Teen Kyla Giroux. “I think that has really helped all the teens grow in maturity.”

For this year’s pageant, a total of seven miss contestants and six teen contestants competed.

Category winners who will be advancing to the state competition include Miss Yuma County Cassidy Legros, Miss City of Yuma Allie Van Dyn Hoven, Miss Yuma County’s Outstanding Teen Theordora Baker and Miss City of Yuma’s Outstanding Teen Kyla Giroux.

Winners, as well a runner-ups, received scholarships ranging between $50 and $1,600. Additionally, two miss winners received one year free of tuition at Arizona Western College.

According to pageant coordinator Ashlei Wyant, the winners will be heading to Miss Arizona and will be there from June 19-23.

“All of the girls are given lots of practice time to help them with confidence, poise on stage, public speaking, talent prep, community awareness, and we help them build their resumes with opportunities to volunteer, speak, and meet influential members of the community,” she said.

Miss City of Yuma Van Dyn Hoven noted that public speaking skills were some of the most valuable assets she gained from the pageant.

“My public speaking and interview skills have improved so much since I first started,” she said. “I was very timid. I didn’t really talk to people very much and as soon I started the program they’ve been teaching us these skills.”

Miss Yuma County’s Outstanding Teen Baker added that the Miss America Crown has four points symbolizing different aspects of the pageant’s values-service, style, success and scholarship.

“My favorite one is service because I have done a lot in my community,” she said. “It’s really helped me grow as a person and it prepares you for life. It gives you work ethic.”

Giroux added that all competitors had a platform for which they contributed community service. Her own niche of helping the community was to aid local animals in need.

“If the teens want to compete and if they want to be a title holder, they need to take on that sense of responsibility which is something I recognize all the teens have taken on,” she said.

Promoting literacy is the focus of Van Dyn Hoven, and as such she has been working with Foresee Your Passion.

“We go to schools and talk to kids about the importance of finding their passion and what they love to learn about,” she said. “That way, when they get to high school, they know what they want to do whether it’s the college route or not.”

Recently, Miss Yuma County’s Outstanding teen said she has been volunteering at the Yuma Community Food Bank, the Crossroads Mission and at one of the local libraries. She noted that her platform for community service while she competed in the pageant was the Yuma Community Food Bank due to her own family’s history of food insecurity.

Now, as a title holder, Baker said she has a threestep plan to help combat local hunger issues-recruit more volunteers for the food bank, raise more funds and raise more awareness concerning food insecurity.

“I’ve used a lot of the skills I’ve obtained in pageantry for life skills,” she said. “It’s more than just looks. It really does take a lot more than that to win a title.”