A University of Houston-Victoria alumna thought things couldn’t get any better when she was named Mrs. Fort Bend County in November. That was until she participated in the 2009 Mrs. Texas International Pageant last month and was named third runner-up.

Katrina “Kat” Jaso Alvarado

“It was overwhelming, but it was wonderful,” said Katrina “Kat” Jaso Alvarado, a 1996 UHV graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Alvarado competed in the three-day pageant in San Antonio March 20-22 against 25 other county winners from around the state. The women went through two interviews, and evening gown and fitness wear competitions. As third runner-up, she is now part of the Mrs. Texas International Queen’s Court, which makes special appearances at events.

Alvarado, who lives in Richmond, is the daughter of Goliad residents Julie and Hernan Jaso, chairman of the UHV President’s Regional Advisory Board. The support of her family was key to her success during the pageant process, Alvarado said. Her parents, in-laws, husband Sal Alvarado III and their two daughters, 9-year-old Alana and 4-year-old Apria, even spent the weekend in San Antonio during the state pageant.

Alana celebrated her birthday that weekend, and both of Alvarado’s daughters wore cream-colored dresses to the pageant that were similar to the evening gown Alvarado wore.

“You could just see how special they felt, and after the winners were announced, Alana told me how proud she was of me,” Alvarado said. “That meant more than anything.”

Each contestant has a platform she supports during her term. Alvarado’s platform focuses on family values and getting parents involved with their children’s lives.

Now that the pageant is finished, Alvarado will concentrate on homeschooling her two daughters, running the couple’s business, Mactrax DJ, from her home and making appearances as Mrs. Fort Bend County and a member of the Queen’s Court.

She appeared last month in the 20th annual AIDS Walk Houston, an event designed to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS, and she plans on volunteering at the Champions Kids Camp in Houston this summer. The organization provides a free camp for children who have survived a traumatic event.

Alvarado also is going through training to become a volunteer a DePelchin Children’s Center in Richmond. The organization provides social and mental health services to children and their family members.

Alvarado said some of the things she learned while getting her degree from UHV helped her in the competition.

“I had great experiences at UHV, and some of the speech and communications skills I was taught by my professors really helped me during the pageant,” she said.

UHV Chief of Staff Margaret Rice said she is always pleased when former UHV students are successful.

“Mrs. Alvarado is doing great things in her community to help others, and we are extremely proud of her,” she said.

Alvarado may be contacted about making an appearance at an event at 281-341-9282 or mactraxdj@mac.com