Between balancing school, work, friends, family and relationships sometimes we can’t control the voice in our head; Monica Ten-Kate a sophomore and Communications major has much more than one voice occupying her mind. Monica, known to many as the Penn State Medium, has been gifted with the ability to communicate with those who have passed, much like the reality TV star Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium. She has shared her gift with many including strangers, clients and fellow Penn State students. Monica has opened up to Her Campus about her experiences as a practicing, college-aged medium and is this week’s Campus Celebrity!
HC: So when did you first discover you could speak with those who have passed?
MT: Long story short, in high school I began to feel and sense spirit all around me. I then started hearing from my friend’s mother who had passed away and I thought I was crazy! But it started happening with some other close friends and when I would repeat what spirit was telling me they would start crying and thanking me. I knew I had to talk to someone. I eventually met with a medium in my area in Northern Virginia and within three minutes of sitting on her couch she told me spirit was telling her that I’d be doing the same work for the rest of my life. A week later I channeled spirit for a stranger for the first time and it just continued and hasn’t stopped since! Word of mouth spread like wild fire.
HC: What is your favorite thing about doing a reading?
MT: Bringing people peace and closure and validating that their loved ones are up above. It’s an incredible feeling knowing how big of an impact I’ve had on people I’ve channeled for. The fact that I get to bring them so much healing is amazing.
HC: How do you manage class work, readings, and any other extracurricular activities you’re involved in?
MT: Well, I’m not your typical college student. I rarely party and I’m not involved in extracurricular activities that are too time consuming. Luckily I now take the majority of my classes online so I have a lot of flexibility in regards to scheduling my readings. I try to schedule my readings during the day and do my school work at night or on the weekends. Only thing I’m terrible about is making more time for seeing my friends and relaxing! Being a medium is my life, it’s not just my job so it’s sometimes a little overwhelming but I wouldn’t change it for anything.
HC: I’m sure a lot of people are unbelieving of your gift, how do you deal with skeptics?
MT: At this point I’ve accepted that people are going to be skeptical. There will also always be the people who aren’t just skeptical but straight up think I’m a lunatic or a terrible person. I get it. It comes with the title so I can either let it get to me and cry about it or I can ignore it and focus on the positive. My clients have only every been thankful and appreciative and the strangers I read for free of charge and spontaneously in public have always had tears of joy and are thankful for the unexpected gift they’ve received. It’s funny because the only people who have negative reactions or comments are the ones who haven’t had a reading with me! Come see me before you hate. I realize that there ARE frauds in the business and those who are not gifted, but experience a reading with me first before you put me in that category.
HC: I picture people speaking to you, like hearing voices. How does the dead communicate with you?
MT: I communicate with spirit through a combination of hearing, feeling, seeing, sensing, and clear knowing. They don’t have a regular conversation the way me and you would. Instead spirit uses things like pictures, words, symbols, names, sentences, physical feelings, emotions, little movies playing in my head, etc. to pass on the information for me to then interpret and relay to my clients. I don’t see spirit as if they’re sitting on the couch across from me…that would scare me!!!
HC: I think it’s safe to say when most people hear medium they think of the Long Island Medium. Do you want to make a career out of your gift?
MT: I’m thankful for Long Island Medium because a lot of my clients come to me after becoming more open to mediumship due to watching the show! Yes, I plan on making a career out of what I do. I am finishing my college degree because I think it’s great to have a college education but I know I won’t be needing my degree since I’ll be doing this work for the rest of my life. The other thing mediums will get from people unbelieving of our gifts is “if this was really a gift why are you charging people?” Personally, I do my best to give back as best as I can. I give a percentage of what I make from my all readings to THON. I mentor other gifted college students during my free time. I do a number of free readings for those who have lost an immediate family member and do free readings spontaneously almost every day around town. I am human though and just like you work very hard at your job to make a living, so have I! Why shouldn’t I make what I’m gifted at my career?
Interested in a reading with Monica? 1 hour readings are half off for PSU students! If you want to learn more about Monica, please visit www.monicapsychicmedium.com