Meet Your Mrs. North Dakota International 2016, Ashley Rae Klinger.
Meet Your
Mrs. North Dakota International 2016, Ashley
Rae Klinger.
Hi, everyone! This is Ashley
Rae Klinger,
your new Mrs. North Dakota International 2016! Welcome to my very first blog
post as Mrs. North Dakota International! I am beyond thrilled for the year that lies ahead, and
I’m even more excited to be able to take all of you on this journey with me
through my blog!
For this very first blog, I want to set the stage for our
year together by sharing a few important things with you. First, as I am now
representing all of the wonderful women of the great state of North Dakota,
please know that I take that responsibility very seriously and with incredible
honor! Throughout this year, and years to come, I will do my very best to
represent our state and the women who live here to the best of my abilities!
Second, for those of you who read the article in the Fargo
Forum this past weekend and have asked, yes it is true, my first reaction when
approached about participating in the pageant was to say no. However, after
some thought, I knew this was a perfect way for me to lead by example and to
show women that life truly is about combining our abilities with opportunities.
We might not know what the end result is going to be, but as long as we embrace
who we are and what we have to offer, and stay true to what we’re passionate
about and what brings us purpose, then we’re going to go much further in life
than we could’ve ever expected! So, here I am! Not knowing what the end result
of all of this is going to be, but I’m going to stay true to what’s important
to me in the process and do my very best to live each and every day with
purpose and passion.
Third, as your Mrs. North Dakota International, it’s important to me that you
feel as though you know me. If you see me out and about at an event throughout
the year, I want you to be able to approach me and have a conversation with me
as though you are one of my friends. Therefore, here are a few fun facts for
you to get our relationship started! I was born in Devils Lake where I lived
until I was 9. My family and I then moved to Grand Forks, where I grew up and
now consider home. I graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2002 and
moved to Minneapolis, MN, where I started my very first business, which today
is a mentoring and coaching firm for women. I also lived in Fargo and
California for a brief period of time. My parents live in Grand Forks, and I
have 1 younger brother who lives in Bismarck, along with 1 adorable 2 ½ year
old nephew. I’m his Fauntie…that’s Fun Auntie, or Fabulous Auntie, or Funny
Auntie. Ok, you get the idea. My favorite sport is baseball, and my favorite
team is the MN Twins! I was diagnosed with Melanoma Skin Cancer in 2008 and
used the experience to start a nonprofit called The Cope Well Foundation, which
focuses on the emotional recovery of cancer survivorship, which I will be
representing as my personal platform this year. I’ve always considered myself to
be a city girl with country roots. I recently moved to the country with my NEW
husband, Andrew. I say NEW because we just got married on October 18, 2015,
which was exactly 1-year from the day that we met one another. We have a puppy
named Bella and plan on having kids when God says it’s time!
And finally, if you’re wondering why the ‘e’ in my name is
red, it’s because I’m RED E for anything! Ha ha! Get it?! Ok, so that’s
probably my que to wrap up! Again, from the bottom of my heart, I am beyond
thrilled and honored to be your Mrs. North Dakota International 2016 and can’t
wait to share this year with you! Together, we will make a difference!
Sincerely,
Ashley Rae Klinger
