Miss America 2012 talks pageantry, music, family, make-up

Laura Kaeppeler, who represented Wisconsin at the 2012 Miss America Pageant, had competed in pageants for two years prior to winning the title.
(photo by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine)

Laura Kaeppeler is about a half-year into her reign as Miss America 2012. But before she embarked on the thousands of miles of travel that have taken her across the world, she immediately demonstrated the poise that won her the title in her very first week of media appearances.

Five days after winning the crown in Las Vegas, the 23-year-old Wisconsin native appeared at the ARTISTRY 5:01 Event in New York. ARTISTRY, a luxury skincare and make-up brand under parent company Amway, is a sponsor of the Miss America Pageant.

Kaeppeler said that her favorite ARTISTRY make-up product was the Light Up Lip Gloss, which includes a small mirror and light. “During the day, you have a wonderful mirror, but at night, you also have the mirror and the light if you’re in a situation where you can’t see what you’re putting on,” she said. “So handy.”

Kaeppeler, a graduate of Carthage College where she studied music and vocal performance, chose an unusual community service platform during her road to the title. While contestants’ past platforms have typically dealt with issues such as self esteem, eating disorders and literacy, Kaeppeler created “Circles of Support – Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents.” It’s a subject that has personal meaning for the aspiring law student because her own father spent 18 months in federal prison for mail fraud.

“I sat down with my entire family, specifically my dad, and we had hours – days – of conversation to be in agreement to go forward with this,” Kaeppeler said at the ARTISTRY 5:01 Event. “He’s been very supportive and we’ve actually done a lot of things together just to show people that you can stand next to parents that may have been in prison…that’s a very strong message of hope for these young kids who have parents in prison.”

For more of Kaeppeler’s interview with Meniscus Magazine, watch the video below from the ARTISTRY 5:01 Event where she talks about her Miss America pageant experience, her opera studies and ARTISTRY, for which she now serves as brand ambassador.

Video: Interview with Laura Kaeppeler, Miss America 2012