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Molly Kate Kestner, rising star from Austin, Minnesota has fulfilled the grappling task of catching the attention of both the media and fans from all over the country with nothing but her brilliantly pure voice and a Youtube account. Despite her humble beginnings, the 18-year-old’s undeniable talent has landed her feature stories with Good Morning America, ABC News, Seventeen Magazine and more.

The triple threat singer, song writer and musician’s lifelong love affair with music and desire to help and inspire others resulted in her original hit song His Daughter, released in the spring of 2014 and now has over 8 million views on Youtube. Kestner has written the music and lyrics for thirteen original songs but has only released seven of them to the public so far, with the most popular and nationally recognized being His Daughter. The song, now available on iTunes, tells the story of a young girl who finds faith in a hopeless and lost world and God brings her through to find peace and love. The young artist said the inspiration for the song came from several stories of people she has known, as well as, her personal strong faith in God.

“My faith is important to me and I certainly want to share it with people and not hide it from them but I do not consider myself a Christian artist,” Kestner said. “I want to write songs that have meaning but are about different topics that people can relate to because I think the best testimony of my faith is just the way I live my life on a daily basis”.  

Some of the other songs Kestner has released on Youtube are about love, bullying, as well as one she wrote for her mother. Kestner learned how to play the violin at the astonishing young age of 5, when most are still learning how to color inside the lines. At age seventeen she taught herself how to play the piano and began to write her own songs. The two musicians that have inspired her the most are Carrie Underwood and Sara Bareilles. Kestner says these two ladies inspired her by using their talent and music to make their claim to fame, not their looks. She says they strive to inspire others with their music and not just give into the Hollywood image of women just being sex symbols.

Kestner plans to attend North Central University in Minnesota to earn her college degree so she has experience and knowledge, while still pursuing her love for music. She has a desire to follow her love for music or become a motivational speaker but wants to get an education. As Kestner continue to builds her music industry career she wants to get more involved with the A21 Campaign to help girls that have been victims of sex trafficking.

The mission behind the A21 Campaign is to “prevent trafficking through awareness and education. In schools, orphanages, and universities, they have created presentations and curriculum to educate potential victims of trafficking. Young people are equipped with strategies to avoid becoming a victim.

They also believe prevention occurs by educating those not necessarily as victims, but as suppliers in the human slave trade. Whether it’s through their street teams or university awareness, churches or community groups, their prevention presentations in nine different countries aim to prevent trafficking through awareness before it begins.”

Photo courtesy of Molly Kate Kestner

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From the Editor
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