Kari Hipsher Halderman competed as Miss Huntington in 1990 and won the title and the right to compete for Miss Indiana. She won the title Miss Indiana in June 1991, and went on to compete in the Miss America pageant that September. Her talent was ballet en pointe. Kari is a graduate of Purdue University and was an elementary teacher until she had children. Kari is married to Howard Halderman from Wabash. They have three children, Jenna, Jake, and Joe. Kari was initiated in the Wabash chapter of Tri Kappa in 1990.