Name: Mary Katherine Fechtel
Major: Family, Youth, and Community Sciences
Hometown: Leesburg, FL
UF student Mary Katherine Fechtel has seen the Miss America stage, has traveled across the country, and works with nonprofit organizations to raise awareness about human trafficking. Fechtel’s humble beginnings and spirituality is what makes her the person she is and is what fuels her passion to help others. We talked to her about how she perserved and strived even when faced with difficulties.
HC: You had to take time off of school in order to fulfill your duties as Miss Florida, was that a difficult choice?
MF: I left UF in the summer of 2015 expecting to return a few months later for senior year, but when I was crowned Miss Florida in July I moved directly to Miami and put my academic education on hold. Ironically, during the first few months of being Miss Florida I learned more, studied more and grew more than I had in all of my three years at the university! Also, the Miss America Organization is the largest scholarship provider for women in the world so I could return to graduate debt free.
HC: Miss America is a major accomplishment and large stage, how was that experience?
MF: The competition was two weeks long and I received incessant letters and videos of support from fellow Gators and Floridians each day. The experience and relationships developed through the Miss America Organization were my reward, so I was pleased with any outcome. Making the top 10 and winning the preliminary swimsuit award was a bonus!
HC: Your platform is ‘A Safety Net: Protecting Our Youth from Online Predators’, how did you get involved, and why is this something you’re passionate about?
MF: It began as a human trafficking awareness campaign. I had interned in a ministry for women affected by the sex industry in Gainesville and my direct involvement led me to understand the modern role of the internet in exploiting both youth and women. Children in the schools I was visiting were being solicited online daily in frightening numbers. Social media has become a playground for predators. Adolescents – particularly young women – are built with a capacity for love and attention. Online predators seek to fill this desire for affirmation by communicating behind a screen until the victim is manipulated. As Miss Florida I partnered with organizations ranging from areas of awareness to curriculum development in schools. I also took the opportunity to talk to all social media users about the danger of comparisons and gauging self-value through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. The internet is an asset to society but it has revolutionized concepts of self-worth in individuals of all ages.
HC: You’ve traveled a lot since winning your title, how was that experience; do you have any favorite places?
MF: I drove over 40,000 miles in one year as Miss Florida – we have a huge state! My favorite out-of-state experience was in Washington D.C. with the Everglades Foundation. We lobbied on Capitol Hill for two days regarding the Everglades issues and also in Tallahassee to pass the Florida Legacy Act. I was able to stand behind Governor Scott as he signed the bill, securing dedicated funding to restoration projects for the next 20 years. My favorite in-state place was the Florida Forestry Festival in Perry, Florida where I toured a bed race, a lumberjack contest and the world’s largest free fish fry!
HC: You followed your dreams and succeed, do you have any tips for young women today who may be scared to do something they love?
MF: I say the same thing every time I address a group of contestants. God has a plan for your life whether you win or whether you don’t win. In our limited vision we think if we try something and fail we have wasted our time, but growth is the goal. Go for every single dream you have, but never think your worth is defined by your success. Your worth is defined by the cross Jesus died on. And if you truly want to impact people, start with the people around you. Your title/position is simply a vehicle.
Photo Credit: Mary Katherine Fechtel