Laura Kaeppeler, '10, Miss America 2012. Photo courtesy of the Miss America Organization.

Laura Kaeppeler, '10, Miss America 2012. Photo courtesy of the Miss America Organization.

Alumni Achievements

Students and faculty: Miss America 2012 is dedicated, genuine

Almost a week after watching one of their own win the Miss America pageant on Jan. 14, campus is still buzzing with the news that Carthage alumna Laura Kaeppeler, '10, took the national crown. Faculty from the fine arts to the natural sciences have admitted to watching their first pageant in years, and students and fellow alumni alike are cheering for Miss Kaeppeler through Facebook and other social media.

"She has such an innate gentility and grace, and she's very skilled. I thoroughly expected her to win Miss America."

— Carthage music professor Amy Haines, Miss Kaeppeler's vocal coach at Carthage

"So proud of her, Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Carthage!" posted one reader on Carthage's Facebook page. "Brilliant!" "How exciting!" "Well deserved!" wrote others.

It's even more exciting because the students and faculty who knew Miss Kaeppeler when she was a student here describe her with similar words of praise: Genuine. Hardworking. Dedicated. Skilled.

"She has this amazing personality that's open and warm and welcoming," said Peter Dennee, chair of the Carthage Music Department.

"Everybody loved her," said music professor Gregory Berg. "She was a wonderful student. It's hard for me to think of another student who was more highly and universally regarded than she was. She is just a really super person in every way."

From Carthage's recital hall to the national stage: A "compelling" performer

Laura Kaeppeler, '10, rehearses the opera "The Magic Flute" during J-Term of her senior year at Carthage. © Carthage College

Miss Kaeppeler graduated from Carthage in 2010 with a degree in music, emphasis in vocal performance. She was crowned Miss Wisconsin in June 2011, and won the Miss America pageant Jan. 14 in Las Vegas. For the interview portion of the pageant, she was asked whether Miss America should declare her political affiliation. "Miss America represents everyone," she answered, adding that politicians should remember that they represent everyone as well. For the talent competition, she performed "Il Bacio (The Kiss)."

Prof. Berg called her performance "beautifully expressive": "She conveyed such authentic joy in singing, which I found so compelling," he said. He worked closely with Miss Kaeppeler during her years at Carthage, both as her music director in the 2010 J-Term Opera "The Magic Flute" and as accompanist for her junior and senior vocal recitals.

He watched the pageant live with another professor from the Carthage Music Department. "When they announced her name at the end, our fists went up in the air like it was the Packers winning the Super Bowl. We just screamed," he laughed. "You've never seen two college professors carry on like that about a beauty pageant, and I suspect that was the case with a number of our colleagues."

"When they announced her name at the end, our fists went up in the air like it was the Packers winning the Super Bowl. You've never seen two college professors carry on like that about a beauty pageant."

— Prof. Gregory Berg on watching Miss Kaeppeler win the Miss America crown

Prof. Berg also hosts the radio program "The Morning Show" on WGTD 91.1 and interviewed Miss Kaeppeler back in October. "She said then that her goal was to make the top 10 so she could perform her talent on the telecast. So when she got that far and was able to sing on national television, I felt like she'd already won." (Listen to Miss Kaeppeler's October 2011 interview with Prof. Berg.)

Carthage music professor Amy Haines was Miss Kaeppeler's voice teacher at Carthage. They worked together for four years. "She was a delightful student," Prof. Haines said. "She worked hard and became more and more diligent as she understood how her voice could grow."

When Miss Kaeppeler competed in the Miss Wisconsin pageant for the first time, she came in second and decided to compete again. "I said, 'You know, Laura, you might as well win,' and she said, 'OK,'" remembers Prof. Haines. "So of course, she did — and that did not surprise me. She has such an innate gentility and grace, and she's very skilled. I thoroughly expected her to win Miss America. She had all the skills needed, and she's so darn beautiful, inside and out."

'We knew she was going to win'

Laura Kaeppeler as Miss Wisconsin poses with friends and fellow Carthage alumni Aileen Ferrell, '10, and Maureen Toomey, '11.
Photo courtesy of Maureen Toomey

While most members of the Carthage community tuned in to ABC to watch Miss Kaeppeler compete, other students and alumni traveled to Las Vegas to support their friend in person. Aileen Farrell, '10, and Maureen Toomey, '11, were in the audience cheering like mad every time Miss Kaeppeler survived another cut.

"She's such an amazing and genuine person, and so talented," said Miss Farrell, who performed in the Carthage Choir with Miss Kaeppeler. "The last few minutes of the pageant felt like two hours. They were down to four and she was still in it, and then three, and then two. ... As she performed, and as we watched her on stage so comfortable and eloquent, we were more and more sure that she was going to win."

"I'm so excited for her to have this adventure. I have no doubt that she's going to work really hard."

— Aileen Farrell, '10

Immediately after the pageant, Miss Farrell and Miss Toomey headed to a press conference with the new Miss America, hoping to share a congratulatory hug. "She was so excited to see us in the crowd, and then they put her on a plane to New York right away because she was doing 'Good Morning America' on Monday morning," Miss Toomey said. "We already miss her! ... We've already decided that we're going to stalk the Miss America website, and definitely go to whatever events we can."

"I'm so excited for her to have this new adventure," Miss Farrell added. "Even as Miss Wisconsin, she worked so hard to promote her platform" of Circles of Support, a mentoring program for children of incarcerated parents. "I have no doubt that she's going to work really hard."

"She will set large goals for herself and do everything in her power to make them come true," Miss Toomey said. "She's a really determined person, and she feels like she’s been blessed with this opportunity."

Related Links:
Carthage alumna named Miss America 2012
Carthage students and faculty: Miss America 2012 is dedicated, genuine
Carthage's Laura Kaeppeler, '10, wins Miss America preliminary talent competition
Learn more about the Carthage Music Department
Recent Carthage graduate crowned Miss Wisconsin