Rachel Betterley was born March 2, 1991, in the river town city of Hastings, Minnesota. At a young age, Rachel was gifted in the arts. “I was always holding a pencil.” She recalls. “I was the daydreaming, artsy kid constantly drawing new worlds, people, and realities.”
Likewise, Rachel has always been a people person, which is why she decided to become an art teacher. At nineteen, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in art education at the University of Minnesota Duluth and later received a master’s of art education at Boston University, graduating magna cum laude. In addition to urban and rural teaching experiences, She served internationally at Danila Kumar School in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Currently, she is serving her 9th year teaching high school art in St. Louis County.
Shortly after graduating, Rachel discovered the Miss America Organization and her life changed when she was crowned the 80th anniversary Miss Minnesota on June 13th, 2015. During this time, she served as the state ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and underwent a one-year anti-bullying awareness campaign that reached over 10,000 youth across the state of Minnesota.
Nationally, Rachel has appeared on Good Morning America and the Miss America Pageant live on ABC. Statewide, she has appeared on Fox 9, WDIO, Channel 12 News, Twin Cities News Talk, AM1280 The Patriot, AM 1460 KDWA, KBFT Bois Forte Tribal Community Radio, Hastings Community TV, and was a brand ambassador for Zandolee Media. Her role as Miss Minnesota inspired many aspects of her teaching philosophies and passion for making the world a kinder place through art. Through her #ArtwithHeart Empty Bowl Fundraiser, thousands of dollars are raised annually for rural food banks.
As a 10 year teaching veteran and artist, her goal in the public eye is to inspire people to live their life as authentically as possible, no matter how weird, outrageous, or creative that may be. She affirms, “the confidence to express yourself at any age is invaluable to your happiness and goal-setting. When you embrace the inner-self that is truly fueling your passions, you can set yourself up for success and help others along the way.”
Knowing the importance of art advocacy and staying true to those words, she decided to pursue pageantry in the MRS. division under the Mrs. America Organization. On June 12th, Rachel won the title of Mrs. Minnesota America 2022! She is honored to represent this great state and organization for established married women.
You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram (@rachelbetterley) and Twitter (@rmbetterley), where she enjoys posting about art, fashion, marriage, her two sons, Ryland and Nash, teaching, volunteering, snowmobiling, and various appearances. For more information visit: www.rachelbetterley.weebly.com
