Former Miss Daleville is still representing her city with a new crown and title: Miss Dale County.
Kirsten Boise, who served as Miss Daleville in 2018, was crowned Miss Dale County on Saturday, March 16. Since that day, she has been representing Daleville and Dale County in parades, meetings with local government officials and more.
Boise has been participating in pageants since she was six years old, taking her first crown as Little Miss Warhawk in 2007.
“Ever since then, I’ve been, I guess, hooked,” she said.
She also has a sister, Kaitlyn, who enjoys participating in pageants. Her sister currently serves as Junior Miss Daleville.
“I think it’s really special because pageants are something that both of us really like, and for both of us to be able to win together, even though we’re not in the same court, it’s really special to both of us because we both get that shining moment,” she said.
Boise is currently a junior, a rising senior, at Daleville High School. She is a DHS varsity cheerleader and is an active member of SGA, FFA, the school’s drama club and quiz bowl team, Beta Club and the National Honor Society.
After high school, Boise plans to attend college and become a journalist. She said she would also love to continue participating in pageants on a national level.
“It’s about being able to kind of express myself,” she said about participating in pageants. “It’s something I like to do because you don’t see very many Hispanic girls doing it. For me, it’s important to be able to show other girls they can do it.”
For those who do not know, pageants are about more than just beauty, according to Boise.
“Honestly, there’s a lot more to it than people think,” she said.
She explained that while there were awards for best dress and best smile, which she did not win, at the Miss Dale County pageant, there were other awards for girls to compete for.
“I won the verbal award, the interview award and the written award,” she said. “It is about a lot more than what you look like.”
As Miss Dale County, Boise is eligible to compete in the Miss National Peanut Festival, a coveted title throughout the Wiregrass.
“I’ve always wanted to be able to take Daleville to Miss Peanut,” she said. “Even though I couldn’t do it as Miss Daleville, I still feel like it’s something I’m doing for my city. It’s just a really big honor.”
When asked why the Miss National Peanut Festival title was important for her, she replied, “It’s just a really big tradition around here because we are a part of the Peanut Capital of the World, so Miss Peanut is a really big deal because you get to represent everything that the National Peanut Festival stands for, and you get to be that symbol.”
For those watching her serve as a queen, whether in Daleville or Dale County, Boise said she hopes other see someone worthy of a crown.
“I hope people look for someone with genuinely good character, someone who is responsible with and without a crown on her head,” she said. “I just want to send that message to everybody that it’s all about spreading positivity.”