Just about every town in Texas has a beauty pageant. Ours was called The Dogwood Fiesta. I was in one of those. I played the guitar and sang - and lost.
I won Miss Teen World, and then a movie rep saw me on the pageant website and thought that I had the perfect image for the role in 'Madrasapattinam.'
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 kinda miss having Miss USA around.
I have a lot of friends that are ex-Miss Alabamas and ex-Miss Georgias.
Breaking news: there is only one Missy.
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.
I'm glad that I get to take my final walk as the princess of 2012. ...there's nothing wrong with winning an Oscar!
I thought it might be a good move to get into a beauty contest so I tried for Miss Pennsylvania and won. I think that helped me get noticed, at least by the people of Pennsylvania.
To be brutally honest, when you win a title like Miss Universe, your entire life turns topsy-turvy for one year.
It takes a lot of self-belief to be Miss World.
During the time I was Miss America, I had come to New York City because I had decided I wanted to try to get into television.
It does feel great to be Miss Universe in the millennium year.
After becoming Miss World, I now have some idea of what goes on behind the camera, and that filmmaking is a tedious and time-consuming process.
After I won Miss America, I called my dad, who had four kids in college, to say he no longer had to pay for Stanford.
One minute I was a PR intern, the next I was Miss South Africa.
I'm so glad I never lost my drive because turns out, I was right! Now I'm finally wearing the Philippine sash in the most prestigious pageant in the world.
Back in the day after I won my first pageant there was an agency that was getting me work on the side.
After winning the Miss India title at the age of 16, I resumed my studies.
When I was 13, my mom said she had a dream that I would win Miss Universe in a red dress.
If you have to ask what the judges at Miss Supranational liked about me, I'd say it is my humility.
I was Miss Chicago in 1946.
The role of Miss World is one that my daughter has fulfilled to the best of her abilities.
It has been quite a journey from Miss India to modelling and acting.
There's something about winning Miss America that brings out the snark.
