Inspired by her love for education, Northeast Dubois teacher competing for Miss Indiana title

Tyla Rasche never expected to find herself competing in pageants. The 24-year-old Northeast Dubois teacher grew up playing volleyball and basketball at Northeast Dubois.

“The only pageant I ever did was Little Miss Septemberfest way back in 2007,” she said.

Now, as Miss Wabash Valley, she’s preparing to compete for the Miss Indiana crown in June, bringing her classroom values of education, service and perseverance to the stage.

“I took a leap of faith. I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Tyla said. “And now that I’m in it, it’s really, really exciting and really rewarding.”

She entered her first pageant as an adult in February 2023, competing in the Miss Spirit of Indiana pageant during her first year of teaching. Though she didn’t win the crown, she received the non-finalist interview award.

After taking time away from competitions, she returned in November 2024 for the Miss Northwest Territory pageant, where she won the talent award. She followed this with a first runner-up finish at Miss Hoosier Heritage in March before winning the Miss Wabash Valley title on March 9.

The Miss Wabash Valley competition was held virtually, with contestants submitting videos of their performances and participating in interviews via video conference. Being crowned Miss Wabash Valley qualified her to compete for the title of Miss Indiana.

Tyla teaches Spanish for grades 7-12 at Northeast Dubois and world cultures in seventh grade. She is also the seventh-grade girls’ basketball coach at Northeast Dubois Jr/Sr High School. She has found that her students are among her biggest supporters.

“The thing that has surprised me the most out of this whole experience is how interested my students are in this opportunity that I have,” Tyla said. “They are so excited. They want to know everything.”

Her students eagerly follow her progress on social media and frequently ask about updates to the Miss Indiana website, where her official headshot will soon appear.

“They said to me one time that they are so excited, like, what if their teacher is Miss Indiana one day?” Tyla said. “I said to them, though, what would be cooler is if I could say that I taught a Miss Indiana or I taught a Miss Indiana’s teen because I want them to see that this opportunity is for them as well.”

Tyla holds a bachelor’s degree in French education from the University of Evansville, where she graduated in May 2022. She speaks French fluently and has taught herself Spanish and German. Education is important to her. She grew up in a family of educators; her mom, Dr. Tara Rasche, is the current superintendent at Northeast, and her sisters are also teachers.

This love for education is also a reason she is involved in pageantry. The Miss America organization is one of the largest providers of scholarships for young women in the United States.

“My mom instilled the power of education in us, and this is a great opportunity for me to earn scholarships to continue my education,” Tyla said.

Any scholarships she earns will be used to pursue her Master’s, with the goal of obtaining a PhD.

Tyla has always felt she could perform well in most categories of the competition, with a particular strength in the interview portion. However, the talent competition was a big concern for her as she considered entering pageantry since it seemed to highlight dancing and singing.

“That is definitely not my strong area,” she explained.

It had kept her from competing earlier. “I thought maybe, this opportunity is not for me,” she said.

She found out that the organization also allowed competitors to share uplifting and important stories through HER Story as a talent. The 90-second storytelling segments are designed to provide insight into the contestant’s background and experiences. 

Through HER Story, Tyla has been able to capture the judges’ attention with stories about her experience as a teacher.

“I tell stories of what students say to me, either crazy things, hilarious things,” Tyla explained. “Some of them can be quite emotional things as well.”

This personal approach has resonated with audiences. At the November competition, she received the highest talent score among all contestants.

“When I competed in November and I won the overall talent of all the contestants, it really made it feel like what I’m doing in life is meant to be,” Tyla said. “I found my calling as a teacher, and it was recognized by other people.”

The competition also draws attention to each contestant’s chosen cause. Each contestant in the Miss Indiana organization champions a community service initiative. Tyla’s platform, “Victory Over Cancer,” holds personal significance – her mother is a cancer survivor. Her battle occurred before Tyla was born.

“Except for the advancements of cancer research, I might not be here,” Tyla said. “So I’m very thankful for cancer research.”

She is fundraising for Coach Jim Valvano’s foundation, the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, because “one hundred percent of donations to the V Foundation go to cancer research,” Tyla explained.

Like many people, Tyla has been inspired by Coach V’s speech at the 1993 ESPYs, in which he announced the establishment of the Jimmy V Foundation while accepting the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. He told the audience that its motto would be, “Don’t give up… don’t ever give up!”

A motto Tyla has taken to heart and hopes to instill in her students and athletes.

You can watch the video of his speech here.

Along with helping raise funds for the V Foundation, Tyle has organized “Jeeps vs. Cancer” nights at Northeast Dubois sporting events, raising nearly $800 for the Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center in Jasper.

Those wishing to support Rasche can donate to cancer research through the V Foundation or the Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center, or contribute to the Miss Indiana Scholarship Organization.

The four-point crown presented to pageant winners represents scholarship, service, style and success – values that resonate with Tyla and her efforts as a teacher and member of the Dubois community.

“As a teacher, I want my students to continue their educations as far as possible,” she says. “I love how so many scholarships come from this opportunity. That’s what I really want to share with my students, is the power of education and the power of service and giving back to the community.”

The Miss Indiana competition takes place June 18-21, with preliminary competitions on the first three days and finals on June 21. The winner will represent Indiana at the Miss America pageant.

Miss Indiana and Miss America also team up with the American Heart Association to support women’s heart research and to fund educational scholarships. Along with supporting cancer research, Tyla has a goal to raise $500 in honor of her grandpa, Butch Bonifer, who passed away in January from a heart attack. If you would like to support this, donations can be made here: http://spot.fund/r97wx7fsc.