Submitted Photo Rugby Senior Citizens Club President Mary Schneider, left, poses with Miss Teen Rugby International 2021 Ryli Kuhnhenn.

Anyone can be a force for good, according to Miss Teen Rugby International Ryli Kuhnhenn.

On Jan. 10, Kuhnhenn visited the Rugby Senior Citizens Center to talk about the good things members can do for their community.

The Rugby High student has been spreading positive messages during her 2021 reign, fitting visits to local clubs in between appearances at Rugby Chamber of Commerce events, school work and speech competitions.

At community events, Kuhnhenn has organized children’s games, passed out watermelon slices on a hot August day, and greeted tourists downtown. As a part-time worker at Leevers Foods, Kuhnhenn greeted shoppers with a smile to brighten their day.

At the Rugby Senior Citizens Club, “She spoke on her platform as to paying it forward to bring love and a feel good to someone who may not be having a good day. She was very eloquent,” member Dorothy Slaubaugh said.

Kuhnhenn said in a message to the Tribune, “I had the privilege to speak at the Senior Citizens meeting in January. It was such a great experience being able to share my platform and the N.D. International system with members of the community. My platform is ‘Be a Force for Good’ and my goal is to get others involved in their community and show them how to be a force for good.

“There are three ways to be a force for good,” Kuhnhenn added.

They are volunteering, fundraising, and performing random acts of goodness. Events and organizations thrive due to volunteering and fundraising and random acts of goodness can simply make someone’s day a little bit brighter. I hope to start a ripple effect of good in the world by sharing my platform.

“I also spoke about my experience competing for Miss Teen North Dakota International in January, where I was awarded the Cora Wagner Legacy of Light Award,” Kuhnhenn added.

The award, named for Cora Wagner, a Lisbon resident who died in 2019, is given to a pageant contestant “who exemplifies an extraordinary spirit of light and love to all who meet her.”

“Ryli spoke at our January meeting given us some info on what her title is all about and how it such a rewarding function for young girls,” Slaubaugh added. “She spoke of her title, how to get involved and her various community services she attends to.”

Slaubaugh said Kuhnhenn impressed Mary Schneider, club president, and other club members. “(She has) such a positive attitude and she’s so sure of herself,” Slaubaugh said of Kuhnhenn.