College professor: Miss America is humble, genuine

RACINE, Wis. — A college professor described the Kenosha native who is now Miss America as humble and genuine.

Laura Kaeppeler (KEP’-ler) was crowned Miss America 2012 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

She attended Carthage College in Kenosha, where she majored in music and vocal performance. She sang opera during the competition, where her platform was supporting and mentoring children of incarcerated parents.

Carthage assistant professor Gregory Berg accompanied Kaeppeler to recitals as a pianist and worked with her in 2010 as the music director of “The Magic Flute,” where she was the lead soprano.

He tells The Journal Times of Racine that she never craved the spotlight or attention and it was challenge to get her more comfortable being on the stage.