Salute Our Heroes: K-State student loves helping the community

MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - K-State student Katelyn Andrist loves helping kids and people with disabilities in the community.

She’s active in activities such as volleyball, clothing drives, and even reads her published book to children.

“That’s like one my favorite things to do everyone always asks me like what’s your passion I’m like kids, people, people with disabilities, I mean you name it I love going out there and really just going in and connecting with them. I think that as our generation we have been taught to be very selfish and so for me, I think it’s really important to be able to go out to the community and really connect with those kids,” said Andrist.

Andrist hopes her passion for helping people pushes her to the title of Miss Kansas. While she’s competing to wear the crown, she says the main reason she gets involved is that she loves to see the smiles on people’s faces.

“I just do it because I care I think people forget to even if you are in college or competing in a pageant or in a football game or just doing your job we struggle we all have our insecurities and so, especially with kids and adults with disabilities that allows them to feel normal,” said Andrist.

Andrist wishes she had someone like her when she was growing up.

“A lot of times people forget we want to be involved in something and so for me, I really found my niche of I have a really big caring heart and so for me to be open and vulnerable and honest with kids from young ages all the way up to adults you don’t have a lot of people in this world that want to sit down with a child and really ask them how are you feeling.”

Andrist hopes to be nominated for Miss Kansas this coming June.

Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved.