Kristie Dantuma Saavedra was born and raised in northern Illinois. Moving to Madison, Wisconsin in 2016 to pursue a degree in Veterinary Technology at Madison College, she graduated in 2019 with honors and shortly after earned her certification in Wisconsin. As a Certified Veterinary Technician (Nurse), Kristie has enjoyed working with animals of all sizes, but her favorites are cats, Golden Retrievers and Borzois. 

 

Kristie lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, which is just outside of Madison, Wisconsin’s capital city, with her husband Carlos and their two cats: Sir Loves-a-lot and Pigeon. 

 

Although she didn’t get started in pageantry until she was 16, Kristie is no stranger to pageants. She competed in her local Winnebago County Fair Pageant for four years, and won on her last and final attempt. During her reign, she completed 86 appearances all over her county. One of her favorite community services projects was Becca’s Closet (a nonprofit organization that provides homecoming and prom dresses at no cost), where she had volunteered with her mom and sisters for 11 years. 

 

Kristie’s platform is all about being a mental health advocate, ending the stigma and having open and honest conversations about mental health. After suffering from anxiety and depression for most of her life, Kristie felt called to help others realize that taking care of their mental health is just as important as taking care of their physical health. Focusing on explaining that depression is more than just “feeling sad”, she wants to break down these stigmas and talk about chemical imbalances versus harmful rhetoric. As an advocate, she shares her story of using pharmaceuticals and talk therapy to help manage her symptoms. 

 

One thing that Kristie is grateful for that came out of quarantining for Covid was learning how to knit hats for newborn babies for Reigning Purls of Hope, a non profit organization that provides a gift of newborn essentials to families. Since December, 2021, Kristie has made over 275 hats and hopes to continue to contribute to the cause for many years to come. 

 

Kristie is currently enjoying volunteering with Lasagna Love, a non profit organization that provides meals for anyone who asks. Starting in March, 2022, she has prepared and delivered over 150 lasagnas across the Midwest. 

 

In her spare time, Kristie enjoys Renaissance Faires, all things Star Wars, bedazzling things, reading, working out, flower arranging and party planning.