MISS OWATONNA
Jasmin Kotek
Class of 2025
Class of 2025
Talent: Jazz Dance
Community Service Initiative: CultureChange: Mental Health Advocacy Directors: Jennifer Burt - Miss Southern MN/Miss WCSC/Miss Owatonna Molly Kopischke, Teen Email: [email protected] Next Competition Date: TBA Triple competition with South Central and Waseca County Sleigh & Cutter |
Jasmin Kotek, also known as "Jas," is a dynamic leader with a rich background in competitive dance—particularly jazz, a style that mirrors her energetic and expressive spirit. She wears many hats: teacher, coach, mental health advocate, published author, nonprofit founder, small business owner, and Miss Owatonna 2025. At her core, Jasmin is a passionate changemaker committed to education, empowerment, and leaving a lasting impact on every life she touches.
Raised in Faribault, Minnesota, Jasmin was profoundly shaped by the very classrooms, teams, and community spaces that nurtured her. Today, she gives back as a middle school math & leadership teacher at Faribault Middle School, where she inspires students through a tech-integrated curriculum, real-world applications, and a strong emphasis on leadership development. Jasmin’s passion for education was first sparked through coaching. For six seasons, she served as head coach of the Northfield Hiliners Dance Team, where she combined her love for dance with a commitment to mentorship. Her coaching journey has also extended to cheer and softball, reinforcing her belief that strong role models shape resilient leaders. A standout moment from her coaching career includes choreographing a “Miss America” themed high kick routine—where, fittingly, Miss Minnesota took the crown. Jasmin’s involvement in the Miss America Opportunity has been one of the most transformative experiences of her life. The program has strengthened her voice, sharpened her leadership, and expanded her platform—offering invaluable friendships, life lessons, and personal growth. Many of her most meaningful achievements stem from the confidence and purpose she cultivated through this opportunity. Her passion for mental health advocacy is deeply rooted in personal experience. In 2008, Jasmin lost her cousin Brandyn to suicide. At just 15, she also witnessed a close family member's suicide attempt. While she didn’t initially grasp the depth of those experiences, they shaped her profoundly. In 2017, Jasmin was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Clinical Depression. Navigating her own mental health journey—filled with trial, error, and eventual healing—solidified her belief that no one should ever struggle in silence. That belief sparked the creation of her Community Service Initiative, CultureChange: Mental Health Advocacy, and the founding of CultureChange, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since 2020, CultureChange has reached over 300 universities, 16 school districts, and expanded across two countries—offering free mental health resources, training, and curriculum. She also co-developed Seeds of Success, which has created Project CARLA, utilizing AI and VR to make mental health resources more accessible and engaging. Jasmin discovered early on that movement is medicine. Her love for fitness—rooted in CrossFit, long-distance running, and cross-training—became vital to her mental wellness. Today, she is a NASM-certified personal trainer and nutrition coach with dreams of opening her own gym or wellness studio. She fully embraces #MissAmericaFit, viewing fitness as a pathway to physical strength, mental clarity, and resilience. With a passion for early intervention, Jasmin launched the #ExhaleProject, a bracelet campaign designed to start meaningful mental health conversations across all ages. She is also a published author of four (soon to be five) children’s books, each centered on emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and SEL. Through her initiative Open Books, Open Minds, she is working to place her books in all 251 public libraries across Minnesota—ensuring access for families, educators, and young readers everywhere. Jasmin’s commitment to community runs deep. She has volunteered with and mentored through organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Miller Mentoring, Girls on the Run, The Green Bandana Project, Speaks2Inspire, NAMI, Sophie’s Squad, and The Jordyn Clark Foundation. Each partnership expands her mission to provide support, hope, and advocacy for mental wellness. As Miss Owatonna 2025, Jasmin sees her title as more than a crown—it’s a calling to give back to the communities that shaped her. As she continues her journey in the Miss Minnesota Organization, she is eager to extend her outreach, uplift others, and remind every person she meets that they are enough, and that their story deserves to be told. |