RVCC cum laude grad crowned Mrs. New Hampshire America

By TORY DENIS
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WALPOLE — Walpole resident Miraya Young celebrated a two-fold accomplishment recently, when she earned both her college diploma and the title of “Mrs. New Hampshire America 2018” in the same weekend.

Young, 37, was crowned at the pageant in Windham on Sunday, May 20, just two days after graduating cum laude from the Physical Therapy Assistant Program at River Valley Community College in Claremont, where she is a commuter student.

She will go on to represent New Hampshire at the National Mrs. America Pageant, which will take place in August in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This was Young’s third time representing Cheshire County in the Mrs. New Hampshire America pageant.

“Crown or no crown each time, I felt I walked away a winner, because with every pageant I walk away with a new set of friends and learning something new about myself that continues to help me grow as an individual, as a wife, and as a member of this community,” Young said in an email on Friday. “We have a saying in pageants, ‘Always wear your invisible crown.’ What that means is, winning does not define who we are, we define who we are. I won the crown this time, but I am still the same motivated, passionate, and driven woman who walked on to the Mrs. NH America stage that first time back in 2013. What makes this time different is I’m just a little older, a little wiser, and a little grayer in the hair.”

Young grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and attended Florida State University where she met her husband of 11 years, Ethan, who grew up in the region. The couple moved to Walpole in 2009 from Orlando, Florida. They do not have any children yet, she said, but they do have a little Shih Tzu-pug mix named Tyson.

Young said she started entering pageants when she was 9 years old.

“Competing in pageants has introduced me to my best friends, mentors, and given me the opportunities of my wildest dreams, such as appearing as a regular on several television shows, modeling in New York Fashion Week, and having the opportunity to meet with and work for celebrities.” she said. “I have also discovered the deepest and truest passions of my heart through my community volunteer work as a title holder.”

She has never experienced anything quite like standing with 60-plus women across her state who want to see each other succeed and flourish in life, she said.

“It’s extremely rare to have a moment where you’re given a microphone (literally and figuratively) to speak to the whole world and inspire others around you to stand for a cause and chase their wildest dreams. I feel alive being on stage, knowing that I am representing something bigger than myself. I am representing the true essence of today’s modern woman.”

Young said the title, crown and sash of Mrs. New Hampshire America come with much responsibility, along with representing the state of New Hampshire at the national pageant in August. It also comes with a passion for what one believes in and what one wishes to accomplish by the time their year is over, she said.

“One of my wishes is to meet with as many people that I can across this state and learn their stories, their passions, and about their love for New Hampshire and the history of its towns. I will also be volunteering my time to several causes and events within the state throughout the year.”

Young said physical therapy appealed to her because she craved a career that would be “more of a challenge, a career that forced me to think on my feet, think out of the box,” and which gave her responsibility, accountability, and still allowed her the opportunity to engage with her patients.

She became interested in physical therapy while working as an activity LNA at Maplewood Nursing Home, she said. They had been looking to fill a physical therapy position since 1999.

Young said she was accepted into the doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. But as an adult learner, she found the commute challenging in addition to trying to study and work, so she enrolled in the physical therapy program at River Valley.

As a commuter college, the schedule at RVCC was more accommodating for her life, she said.

“I am an extremely driven individual and my passion lies in helping others to reach their goals. That’s what makes physical therapy such a rewarding profession for me,” Young said. She said she plans to go back in the near future and finish her doctorate of physical therapy degree, and that she hopes someday to own her own outpatient sports clinic.

The Mrs. New Hampshire America 2018 pageant was organized by Kirsten Gazda, a former Mrs. New Hampshire America and Erica Miller, a former Mrs. Massachusetts America. The Mrs. America Pageant franchise is owned by David and Jackie Siegel of Westgate Resorts and Hotels. Young said the pageant is the longest-running pageant system that celebrates the uniqueness of the married woman, her family, and her community.