Being a beauty pageant queen and a missionary may seem surprising at first sight. Yet Kathryn Kueppers, elected Miss Minnesota in 2019, has found a way to combine them. “A big part of what I did as Miss Minnesota was meeting people from all walks of life every day,” she told Aleteia. This is how she quickly realized that everyone she met wanted to be noticed and loved. “Learning to see the dignity of every human being and being comfortable talking to strangers was the trigger that pushed me to become a missionary,” says the young woman, a missionary with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. (FOCUS), a Catholic outreach program for American college students founded in 1997.
It was Kathryn’s mother, herself a former Miss Minnesota 1983, who pushed her to participate in this beauty pageant. “We used to watch the contest together every year,” recalls Kathryn Kueppers, who admired the career aspirations and talents of the contestants.
After her victory in 2019, the 24-year-old crisscrossed the state of Minnesota for two years (due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the contest organizers exceptionally decided to extend her mandate for an additional year , editor’s note) visiting people in hospital, going to retirement homes, etc. His motivation has always been to create a real connection with people and to let them share what is important to them. His approach, meeting strangers and engaging in meaningful conversations, was therefore reminiscent of the work of a missionary.
“The Lord’s plan for us is not necessarily what we think of, but it is always better and more exciting.”
When the slowing of the Covid-19 epidemic allowed her to return to Minnesota State University, Mankato, it was therefore only natural that she decided to be part of FOCUS following meeting missionaries of this program on its university campus. “They changed my life,” the young woman tells Aleteia. And to continue: “Just like the beauty queens who inspired me with their way of life when I was younger, these missionaries marked me with theirs. They lived with visible joy and gave themselves openly to the Lord”. She quickly understands that in turn, she not only wants to live with this faith, but also to share it with others.
full time missionary
Initially, Kathryn Kueppers’ career plans centered on culinary aspirations. She wanted to open a bakery or work in a restaurant. But, in May 2022, following graduating Family and Consumer Science Education, she quickly understood that she did not want to work in this environment. Deep inside, Kathryn heard the voice of the Lord calling her to something greater. So she decided to become a full-time FOCUS missionary.
Since August 22, she has been working at the University of Miami in Oxford, Ohio, where she evangelizes students. “It is a joy to deepen the relationship with our Lord alongside these young people! exclaims Kathryn, confident in God’s plan for her. “I spend less time planning my next steps in life. I simply ask God: ‘What do you expect from me today?’ If she does not know what tomorrow will bring, the young woman is convinced that “the Lord’s plan for us is not necessarily the one we think of, but it is always better and more exciting”.
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