Like so many former Miss Litchfields, Raina Kaping dreamed of wearing the crown from a young age.
But when the crown was placed on her head during last year’s coronation and she became Miss Litchfield 2022-2023, Kaping says, she had no idea how much her life and perspective on her hometown would change — all in positive ways.
As she prepares for the end of her royal reign during this year’s Watercade coronation, set for 3 p.m. Sunday at Bernie Aaker Auditorium, Kaping admits to feeling both pangs of sadness and moments of great happiness.
She looks forward to a future with opportunities that have expanded in part because of the connections she’s made and the things she’s learned during the past year.
Kaping will attend Bethel University in St. Paul in the fall, where she will pursue a finance and accounting degree. A three-sport athlete at Litchfield High School, she will also be a member of the women’s track and field team at Bethel. She’ll continue to train and compete in the pole vault, an event in which she earned a fourth-place finish at the state meet in early June.
She also will also make herself available to the new Miss Litchfield, supporting her in any way she can, and the whole royalty program.
Before moving into that future, Kaping sat down with the Independent Review to look back and share her experiences from the past year as Litchfield royalty.
When did you decide you wanted to run for Miss Litchfield? What was the motivation?
Kaping: Ever since I was really little, honestly, my mom brought me to the coronation every year during watercade. So that’s when I decided, automatically, I wanted to run. It’s just something I’ve always loved doing. I mean, I love getting ready and being all girly and all that kind of stuff. But then, of course, when you get older, you realize the benefits of it, too. It’s not just all about that. But that’s what really drew my attention in the beginning.
So you thought it would be cool first of all, because you like being all girly and dressing up, and as you got older, you learn there was more to it and still were very interested in it and wanted to do it. After a year, was it what you thought it would be?
Kaping: Honestly, I don’t think anyone could really know what it’s like. You just don’t know until you’re in it. And I think that is just an experience that anyone who is crowned, that’s the bond you have — as they call it the sparkle section — because everyone knows it’s just different than what you think. But not in a bad way. It’s just that you may think, ‘Oh, just parades, going to other towns,’ but there’s a lot of pre-socials, or post-socials. I mean, there’s a lot of time gaps in between a parade and a coronation, and just many different events that maybe you wouldn’t think that come to mind. And it is a full schedule, but it’s a very rewarding schedule too, with all the opportunities you get. So I think it’s a very good program and very beneficial for people. It’s just, you don’t really know until you’re in it, but it’s a good experience.
Go back to that night that you were crowned. Can you remember what that was like? What was the moment like when they put the crown on your head? And what were the first things that went through your mind?
Kaping: I was so excited. Honestly, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ That’s all I could think, was, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is real, like, this is happening!’ There’s so many nerves going up to it. But I remember when Claudia (Toenjes, Miss Litchfield 2022-2023) was coming around with the crown — so nerve racking. I was like, ‘OK, I gotta just be confident and relaxed.’ But when she placed the crown on my head, I was so happy. And I remember just like crying because I just got so nervous and all tight, and then it was finally relief. And I was so happy, because it’s just really has been a dream of mine forever. And it was super fun to be able to accomplish it and have that year of reign.
Would you do it again?
Kaping: I would. I definitely encourage other girls to run for Miss Litchfield. I think it’s very important. And I’m hoping that I can get that out there more, for future years. I just hope young girls can take that and maybe hear from my own experience. And hopefully they can get interested in it, too, in order to see the benefits.
So give me your best sales pitch. What have you gotten out of this? Why would a teenage girl think this might be something that they want to do?
Kaping: I feel like a lot of it is meeting new people. I think if you have a lot of different people that you know, you get a lot of different connections to different places in your life. And that can even go to your career. I think that’s really helped me, just knowing and communicating with different people that’s obviously a really big skill. And I think that it could start to be lacking now with all the technology we have. This program has really helped me connect with people one-on-one and in groups, and in public speaking. And then I also think it’s a resume-builder, that’s really helped me as I’ve applied to colleges and jobs. It’s something people look for, and they’re always intrigued by it. And then I’d also say interview skills. I mean, I had scholarship interviews, and I just felt more confident going into it because I had past experience through candidacy interviews. So I’ve just felt a lot more confident, and more opportunities, and growing.
You were a three-sport athlete in high school, you’re a competitor. Did that help you with your confidence when it came to Miss Litchfield?
Kaping: I feel like just being involved with athletics as much as I am, I’m very determined in everything. It’s helped me in a lot of ways — confidence and being hardworking and determined. This (Miss Litchfield) is a year reign and you have a lot of responsibilities going on. And I noticed throughout the school year, while I’m dealing with sports camps, or work, and then Miss Litchfield and those requirements, there’s a lot of duties you have to juggle and your time management. I’m hoping that can actually help get more girls to run, because I want them to know that you can be very involved in many different things and still have a year reign. I know a lot of people are concerned about certain sports, and they think they can’t run for Miss Litchfield because they’re in a certain sport, but you can do it all. I mean, I feel like I’ve been pretty busy. So I just want to show people that you can do it all. I mean, it’s a fun year.
Sunday afternoon, when you’re making that final walk across the stage, and then actually placing the crown on the new Miss Litchfield’s head, what’s it going to be like for you? What are you going be thinking?
Kaping: I think I’m actually going to be really sad when it comes down to the moment. I haven’t had time to process it really right now, because there’s just so many events going on. So I think when I get to that moment, I’m gonna be like, ‘Wow, this is the end.’ It’s crazy, because it moves so fast. I feel like I just got crowned and it was last summer. Everyone says it, ‘You’ll never know how fast it goes by,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, right.’ But it really does go fast. I’ll definitely be sad, but also be happy for the next Miss Litchfield, because they get to experience all the fun things throughout their year reign. And I hope I can be there for her if she has any questions and just, I’m excited for her for her new year.
You think when you’ve lived somewhere for 18 years that you kind of know everything about your hometown, especially when it’s a small town like Litchfield. But were there things that you have seen or learned through this year? Can you point to anything that you thought, “Oh, I didn’t know that!”
Kaping: There was definitely a lot of learning opportunities. For instance, the food shelf — I mentioned this in other interviews — but when we were able to volunteer through candidacy that was really eye-opening for me, because I didn’t know how it was run or anything like that. And so that was just something small, but that’s in the community of Litchfield that I learned. And also just visiting Kiwanis, and the Lions Club, and just how they run everything. I think that was also a learning opportunity for me because not everyone gets to go and join their lunch, or in the morning Rotary club, too. And then also just community events like National Night Out in the park. I probably normally go to that, but we went to that for royalty, and then the Candy Cane Parade. Just being involved in all that and seeing people come out for those events. There’s a lot that’s actually goes on in Litchfield. I think people need to know that and that the more people that come out, the more we can get together and be a closer community, which I think is important.
Any parting thoughts after a year of representing Litchfield? What do you want people to know about your hometown?
Kaping: Good question. I feel like I want people to know that Litchfield has more to offer than people may think. I hear the joke, you know, we’re just a small town, like, let’s go somewhere else or whatever. But I think there is a lot to offer here. And a lot of people to get to know. Sometimes people can think they already know everyone in Litchfield, but in my case, I’m young, but I’ve met so many new people throughout this year of reign, and just being able to go up to someone and just talk to them, you never actually know what people are going through. I really figured that out throughout this, because you’re forced to just go up to talk to strangers. And some people look like they don’t want to talk to you at all. But then you start talking to them and they want to share with you their whole day. And I just feel like they get a lot of happier from that. And so I just think that lets you realize a lot of people and things to offer and do make new connections and closer connections.
