Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year because it reminds us to give thanks and to count our blessings. Suddenly, so many things become so little when we realize how blessed and lucky we are.

I'm a happily declared chocoholic. I keep it everywhere, even my nightstand.

I don't really work out. I eat a lot of sweets. I have chocolate all over my house.

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

I wasn't the typical pageant girl - I was a little more nerdy, and they gave me a voice. I created the Queen of the Universe pageant, which is charity-based, to benefit UNESCO. For me, the most important thing is that contestants have a charity-based platform or charity ambition.

Especially as a title-holder, you can do great things with charities, because people suddenly care about what you have to say. I wanted to make a difference, which is why I created the Queen of the Universe pageant. I want to change all of those stigmas in the beauty pageant world.

I'm working with UNESCO on a project called 'Thirst,' which educates children all over China and promotes awareness to the fact that 300 million people in China do not have access to water.