By Kate Benz

Published: Sunday, October 7, 2012, 8:57 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, October 9, 2012

“I feel like I'm Mr. America!” joked Dress for Success Pittsburgh CEO Michael Glass. “She's as normal as Miss America can get ... as sweet as she could be.”

The “she” was none other than Laura Kaeppeler, aka Miss America 2012. Fresh off the red-eye for a whirlwind visit (340 days a year are spent on the road), she was the guest of honor during An Evening of Celebration and Inspiration hosted by DSP at the Rivers Club on Thursday.

“This is an amazing female-empowerment organization,” she said.

Far from being just another pretty face, the aspiring lawyer passionately advocates for children whose parents are in prison. Earlier in the day, she spent time with the kids served by Amachi Pittsburgh, which provides support for children of incarcerated parents. The issue is near and dear to her heart: while a teenager, her father spend time in jail for a white-collar crime.

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