Shortly thereafter, some friends encouraged me to try out for the Miss South Carolina World beauty pageant. To my surprise, I won - and was sent to New York City to compete nationally.

After graduating in the summer of 1980, I knew I wanted my life to count.

I'm stronger knowing that while Donna Rice could be sold, she could not be bought.

Since it was too difficult to get into the Screen Actor's Guild in New York, I moved to Miami in 1982 and started a successful career as a television commercial actress, obtaining my SAG card there.

I had gained so much confidence through my college achievements that I wanted to tackle the world.

Although I'd first seen Senator Hart in Aspen, Colorado, at a New Year's Day party in 1987, we hadn't talked.

I've had to recover not only from a single well-publicized incident, but several years of press aftermath.