She represents 22 tribes within the State
of Arizona. She attends the University of
Arizona, and when she is not in class, Alyssa
Garcia, Miss Indian Arizona is attending tribal,
state, and school events as an ambassador
carrying the hopes and ambitions of the young,
while also staying true to the rich heritage.
“Being Miss Indian Arizona is a blessing,” said
Alyssa. “I remember being up on stage waiting
for the awards to be announced, I reminded
myself that the only competition I had was
myself and that I’d given it my all. Being able
to say I made it through the pageant was an
accomplishment itself, the last thing I
expected was for my name to be called.
Then it happened and all I could feel
was gratitude, because it wasn’t just
me in the interview and up on stage,
it was my whole
community.”
Alyssa is from the Ak-Chin Community, and Tucson is close enough
where she can always come home
for a quick visit. Her laptop and
textbooks always travel alongside
her, so that in those moments
of downtime, she can stay
caught up with her homework.
“The toughest part for me is balancing schoolwork and events,”
Alyssa said. “The Miss Indian
Arizona Association is very understanding and does not require
me to attend every event and they
know that school comes first. I’m
grateful for my first and second
attendant as well; they attend
events when I am not able to.”