UNIVERSITY PARK — She’s back.
Monica Ten-Kate, the college student who speaks to the dead, is back by popular demand. Season 2 of “Monica the Medium” premiered on FreeForm on April 25.
When Ten-Kate decided to pursue a communications degree at Penn State University, little did she know at the time that her communication skills would one day be put to the test. At first glance, Ten-Kate appears to be just like any other ordinary college student, but she has recently turned heads around the country and has gained instant popularity with her ability to communicate with the dead.
In 2015, ABC Family showcased her talents on their new unscripted reality show, “Monica the Medium,” produced by Dave Caplan’s Trooper Entertainment in association with Lionsgate TV. After the season finale aired, a whirlwind of followers and believers were born. With the success of the show it came as no surprise that the network announced its “go ahead” for a second season at FreeForm, the new name for ABC Family.
The series follows Ten-Kate during her daily student life as she attends parties, tutoring lessons and gatherings with friends. She is even seen dealing with some challenging times in the dating department due to her “unusual and strange” calling.
Ten-Kate was a teenager when she began to hear and feel things that she couldn’t explain. She felt uncomfortable sharing it with anyone while in high school, even her closest friends. Within the past four years, she has finally embraced her talent.
“I realized I had this gift when I was 16 and I kept it quiet. I was nervous to share it with friends. I kept it hush-hush. I didn’t want them to think I was crazy. But, when college came, I came out of the medium closet,” Ten-Kate said.
Ten-Kate was working in the corporate world throughout her high school years as a communications intern at Lockheed Martin in Virginia. Initially, she began to envision a future career at Lockheed after graduation from Penn State, but the spirit world had other plans. While working there she had a life-changing reading with a man she didn’t even know.
“His (late) father came through with such accurate information. He said, ‘My son was 18 when he found me in a white shed in the backyard,’” Ten-Kate recalled. “This reading made me realize that I couldn’t have just imagined this and I knew my gift was real.”
Now readings are a natural part of her daily life. When prompted by spirit she passes along messages while out and about in town, at work or just hanging with friends.
While reading a person, Ten-Kate first asks for permission to do so. Once permission is granted, the spirits messages come through quite quickly and she tends to talk faster, hold the person’s hand and give words of encouragement. On occasion, she has also been able to give accurate details of a passing spirit’s death for validation to those she is reading. “Spirit comes through for those who need it most — not for those who want it the most,” Ten-Kate said.
Ten-Kate spent the first 20 years of her life in northern Virginia growing up with three sisters who never had an inkling about their sister being a medium until she came out publicly in college. And, since Monica’s mother grew up in a Catholic Hispanic family, she had to deal with her own misconceptions about the highly speculative talent her daughter had developed. But, Monica doesn’t let anyone’s negative feelings or judgment toward her gift affect her. The students and people she has connected with unexpectedly were all very accepting of her and praised her for her loving messages. With a lot of coaxing and positive reinforcement from them, she decided to quit her job at Lockheed to concentrate on doing readings full time while attending classes.
Recently Ten-Kate made a life-changing decision to leave Penn State and complete her college education in San Diego with her best friend, Krista. The second season is being filmed in sunny California sun, where Ten-Kate will be making new friends, finding new roommates and adjusting to a new Pacific Coast lifestyle.
Ten-Kate was never seeking public attention or a spot on national television. It seemed as if the “other side” had some influence in making this happen for her.
“I wasn’t looking or trying to be on television at all,” she stated. “Producers unrelated to each other just found me in different ways; some by social media, others by other means. It just landed in my lap.”
Ten-Kate appears mature beyond her years. She has a lot of energy and a bubbly personality to go along with it. She had the courage to say “yes” to a gift she didn’t ask for.
When asked about her feelings on death and the afterlife, she said: “The soul does not die — the soul lives on in heaven. Your loved ones who pass are always by your side holding your hand. They hear your thoughts and prayers and their love for you lives on — it doesn’t die.”
