I am an actress, a producer, a philanthropist, a wife, and above all a mommy to my beautiful babies, Leonardo and Valentino.

Pageants were a platform for me, and they helped me get to where I am today. You suddenly stop being just another girl, and people want to listen to what you have to say.

In Puerto Rico, we have a lot of traditions. We eat a very typical thing that's called 'pasteles' - it's almost like a tamale made of bananas, and we make it all together. Like, all the women of the family unite, and it's a very big deal, a very big thing.

I must be very clear in one thing... Being a pageant girl is not who I am or what defines me.

I do an international beauty pageant called Queen of the Universe for UNESCO, and what we do is we build kindergartens around the world.

'Housewives' are a million times cattier than pageant girls! I know pageant girls have a reputation for being catty, but 'Housewives' are even cattier. But I do think that it's a total different world, and it can't compare.

I am the lead on NBC's 'Siberia,' and I loved that experience.