a 23 year old beauty queen from Wisconsin was crowned as the new Miss America 2012 last Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kaeppeler beats other 52 young women from across the United States to be named as the new Miss America.
A whooping $50,000 scholarship plus a yearlong hold of the crown, it is the first time for Wisconsin to win since 1972. While her competitors pushed platforms including promoting the health benefits of milk and protecting the environment, Laura Kaeppeler (KEP’-ler) said she wants children of incarcerated adults to feel less alone, to have mentoring and as much of a relationship with their parents as possible.
Miss America 2012 (via web)
She now says she intends to use the scholarship money to pursue a law degree and become a family attorney who specializes in helping children of incarcerated kids.
“I really feel like I’ve been called to work in this,” she said. “Whether I became Miss America or not, this is something that I would pursue in my career no matter what.” (web)
Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson came in second while Miss New York Kaitlyn Monte placed third.
