Kylee Apers likes to keep active and learning, from working on the family ranch, to earning her degree in dental hygiene from UBC with high marks, to modeling.
She was encouraged to try the Miss Universe Canada pageant when she was modeling for Allan International Models in Kelowna. The pageant, which selects Canada’s representative to the Miss Universe pageant, has representatives from across the country.
“I would never have thought of doing a pageant, but it was a challenge and I like doing new things,” said Apers, 24, a 2006 A.L. Fortune graduate who works at Armstrong Dental Centre.
That was last November and she went to Vancouver once a month to train for the pageant, proud to be the only one from the interior of the province.
The pageant took place in Toronto for nine days starting May 17 and included rehearsals, public appearances, a visit to a school and interviews. The 62 contestants supplied their own clothes for the evening gown and swimsuit parts of the event.
“There were so many shoes at that hotel,” Apers laughed. “We got to know each other and everyone was very encouraging to each other. I found the other girls inspirational, many have their own businesses or are in school, and do volunteer work in their communities. There was a four-way tie for Miss Congeniality, which tells you the calibre of the women there.”
She admits to being nervous before the interviews, which took the form of three minutes with each of the 16 judges. The questions ranged from the serious, about current events, to the whimsical, about which cartoon character a contestant would want to be. Apers liked the question about which famous woman in history she would be.
“I said Cleopatra, because she was a strong, independent woman,” she said.
The event includes doing some work for the Miss Universe Canada charity, SOS Children’s Villages, which works in 130 countries. Apers organized a fundraiser in Armstrong, guessing the number of chocolate kisses in a jar, which raised $986 for the charity.
“I felt well prepared for the pageant. Some of the contestants were in the pageant for the second or third time. The winner, Sahar Biniaz, was in it for the third time. She will go on to the Miss Universe Pageant in December,” said Apers. “It was very exciting to hear my name called and come down and accept the Miss Congeniality award with the other girls. It meant a lot being recognized by the others as someone who is helpful and positive. It was really special to me.”
Apers is getting settled back at work and enjoying the Okanagan summer, which will include visits with her new friends, the contestants she got to know in Vancouver.
“I feel inspired by the whole event. It has made me set new goals and I want to keep growing and expanding. When you start working towards something, you never know what doors will open for you. I was very shy in school gut I have been working on that. When you want to work towards something, you should always try and see what happens,” she said.
“I want to thank my family and friends and sponsors and the community, everyone who supported me in so many ways.”
