Miss Yavapai County 2020 Alexes Niekamp spoke at last week’s meeting of the Prescott Valley Early Bird Lion’s Club.
“This has been an absolute dream,” Niekamp said after she received the special title. She explained that the Miss Yavapai County is a scholarship organization for young women in Arizona that encourages leadership, community awareness and character development, among other things.
Niekamp’s focus is to promote Arts in Action in schools to strengthen appreciation of the visual arts, dance and other creative mediums within educational curriculums.
Before receiving the Miss Yavapai County title, Niekamp held the title of Miss Parker Arizona and now plans to try for Miss Arizona.
Niekamp attended Tri City College Prep and graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor’s in Science and Applied Human Behavior.
Young and Business Savvy
The busy 24-year-old also runs two businesses she started from the ground up and she shows no signs of slowing her entrepreneurial talents.
“I own Lessons by Lexe: Dance Studio,” she said. She’s a choreographer and dance instructor and opened up her first business at age 19 while still attending college full time. She recently expanded her dance studio from a 900-square-foot space into a space that is just over 5,000 square feet. For more information, LessonsbyLexe.com.
“My favorite type of dance is tap but we teach all ages and many different styles – break dancing and hip hop, too.”
Niekamp said she grew up in a single mother household and at an early age began dance lessons. Her instructor took her under her wing and gave her a scholarship.
“I remember asking my dance teacher what I could do to pay her back, and she just told me, ‘All I ask is that you give back.’”
“In five years – I see myself from Miss Arizona to Miss America and working to keep the arts alive in our communities and states.”
Her advice for young people with a dream: Embrace every season of your life.” She used the metaphor of trees. “They are strong and change with each season. They still stand strong even when they lose their leaves.”
She added that it’s important to embrace the little successes in order to get to your big successes.
The Miss Yavapai and Arizona Organizations help empower the women of Arizona to achieve their personal and professional goals and awards thousands of dollars in scholarships as well as raising money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
