NKY’s Leah Baker competing for Maxim Covergirl title; she’s in Top 10, next round voting ends tonight

By Alexia Dolan
NKyTribune intern

Balancing a full-time career, being a solitary mother to a four-calendar year-previous daughter, and checking out a section-time environment of modeling, Leah Baker does it all when seeking and feeling her most effective and competing to turn into the upcoming Maxim Covergirl.

Raised in Independence and now residing in Covington, Baker discovered the Maxim Covergirl contest by means of a pal on Facebook, inspiring her to enter this year.

“It was on a whim since I didn’t know a lot about it, but I considered I could test because my close friend did,” Baker said. “I truthfully did not feel anything was heading to occur of it following I entered, but it all started when Maxim emailed me a month ago.”

Maxim, an worldwide lifestyle journal, held the to start with round of eliminations and Baker created it into the prime 10 out of 20 women of all ages chosen for the contest. The future elimination round is today and contestants will contend till the winner is named on August 18. The winner receives a $25,000 income prize, as perfectly as a trip to Paris for a cover shoot.

“It’s an avenue for females to celebrate them selves and their achievements simply because it is not just about the pictures, that is why it is voting-centered,” Baker said. “People vote primarily based on what you appear like, I think, but also what your secret talent is, what you consider is essential to you, and what you would invest the prize revenue on.”

Baker lists her three key talents as: remaining ready to fold her tongue into a four-leaf clover, declaring the alphabet backwards in 10 seconds, and getting a rockstar at crisis management.

“My household had some bumps in the road and when individuals things take place, some folks crumble and retreat,” Baker claimed. “I go into solving method by finding every person on the exact same web page, like a coordinator.”

Graduating from Hanover Faculty in 2012, Baker majored in theater and philosophy. She claims her experience there shaped her values and authorized her to categorical herself.

“Although what I examined didn’t translate into a occupation, I realized that I really benefit compassion,” Baker explained. “I delight myself the most on remaining in a position to empathize with other individuals and placing myself into their shoes.”

Currently a paralegal at Darpel Elder Legislation business in Crestview Hills, Baker spends most of her time outside of do the job with her daughter, looking at, and now paving her way into the social media and modeling globe.

“My daughter loves art and reading, her key objective in lifestyle is to get as much action in as attainable, with as small slumber as necessary,” Baker stated. “Being a one mother with a comprehensive time job, I don’t have as much time or availability to get out and fulfill people. Social networking is the only way to execute that for me and in the potential, I see myself performing a manufacturer sponsorship or illustration deal.”

Juggling 3 diverse roles is challenging on anyone’s psychological health and fitness so Baker retains herself in check out by utilizing therapy and working towards mindfulness tactics, when existence seems way too much to tackle.

“I test to stay existing when I have a good deal of factors heading on, for the reason that it adds so considerably force to consider about all of them all at as soon as,” Baker reported. “I found that, if I only imagine about what I am intended to be carrying out at this moment in time, it can make tension ranges considerably extra workable.”

Any one can vote by viewing the Maxim web site. Every single vote has a $1 minimal and all of the proceeds go to Homes for Wounded Warriors, a non-earnings business that aids create and remodel handicap obtainable households for disabled veterans.