Monica the Medium: Penn State Senior to Star in New ABC Family Show

For many, communicating with those who have passed on isn’t common. For Monica Ten-Kate, a rising senior in Penn State’s College of Communications, it’s a gift.

Starting on August 25 at 8 p.m. on ABC Family, the nation will get to see Ten-Kate use her gift in her new show, “Monica the Medium.”

For those who don’t know, a medium is someone who can connect to those who’ve crossed over. It wasn’t until high school that Ten-Kate realized she had this ability.

“I would be around certain friends at school and just become emotional,” she says. “I would hear the story [they were telling] in my head before they told me.”

When Ten-Kate realized she had this gift, she didn’t go bouncing around spreading the news. In fact, she suppressed her gift for a while in fear of seeming crazy or scaring others. Eventually, when she did reveal herself, she realized what her gift could do for others. She saw the healing and peace that it brought people and came to the conclusion that she needed to use this gift to help others.

Ten-Kate has since done countless readings, but doesn’t try to remember every single one. She says she tries to close off her gift and decompress afterwards. She knows that those conversations are personal—not to mention she’d be carrying around thousands upon thousands of conversations in her head if she didn’t.

“There are definitely ones that I’ve never forgotten,” says Ten-Kate. She further explains that these unforgettable conversations were typically with those who passed on around her age, 20 0r 21.

It’s really moving because I can relate to them in such a huge way. It teaches me lessons and reminds me that life is short, and you don’t want to be on the wrong path.

A lot of you might be thinking: Wow! She can probably talk to her dead relatives! But unfortunately, she is unable to communicate with those whom she was closest with in her life that have passed on.

“That’d be nice if I had a back and forth with my grandma,” says Ten-Kate. She explains that it would be hard to validate a connection with a relative. Ten-Kate says if she ever thought she had a family member of hers trying to contact her, she would wonder, “Is that something my grandfather told me when I was younger?”

Luckily, her relatives do sometimes come through to Monica in her dreams, so she feels fortunate to have some connections with them.

Now, typically people think of mediums as having a crystal ball or predicting the future. Monica’s aim is to shut down those misconceptions on her upcoming show.

“I wear jeans and a t-shirt.” says Ten-Kate. “People sometimes expect me to be the Pope or Mother Teresa. I’m not perfect. You can be just like everybody else.”

What else can you expect to see from the show?

“For this show it’s just different. It’s an hour long show that features and covers just as much as me being a regular college girl as much as being a medium. Just as much as me being Monica as me being Monica the Medium,” says Ten-Kate. Some of the show will even take place in a location near and dear to all of our hearts: State College.

Unfortunately with her crazy schedule between the show and finishing school, she’s booked for readings. “Run into me around town [if you want a reading],” Ten-Kate jokes.

In all seriousness, Ten-Kate does believe that if you’re meant to get a message from a spirit, the spirit will bring her to you. She has done spontaneous readings on the street before. When asked if anyone has ever disliked or not wanted the reading, Ten-Kate said no.

“The spirit isn’t going to bring me up to someone who doesn’t want this experience,” says Ten-Kate.

For more information, you’ll just have to watch her show. It is sure to be enlightening and entertaining.

Be sure to tune into “Monica the Medium” on ABC Family at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Tuesday, August 25. We can’t wait to watch!