Through the many struggles in my life, my faith is sometimes the only thing I have to hold onto. God was my only friend.

I learned that I had to work triply hard every time I started a new job in a newsroom to prove my value and worth.

I never had becoming Miss America on my radar screen. But when I was 17, I decided to quit the violin and my parents were devastated.

I am raising my children with the Christian faith and life lessons I was taught. I am equipping them with all of the information and guidance as a parent and hope they will make sound decisions. The most important thing is to teach kids to stand firm in what they believe and not be swayed by detractors no matter what the subject matter.

I felt vindicated that I decided to speak up for not only myself but women all across the nation who've been put down.

My hope is that when people read my story, it will inspire them to reach for their goals and not give up. The real story is this: if I can do it, you can too.

I felt like it was a sense of duty for me to give these women a voice.