Self esteem is built from the inside out and that is my inspiring message to all people.

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.

Being REAL means showing people who you are underneath all the TV make up too.

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.

Forcing victims of sexual harassment into secret arbitration proceedings is wrong because it means that nobody ever finds out what really happened.

I believe every child is born with a gift from God - big or small - and that we should all make the most of our talents.

I grew up a fat kid in a small town in Minnesota who was a tomboy and happened to play a mean violin. My goal was to be a famous concert artist some day.