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.
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 have a lot of friends that are ex-Miss Alabamas and ex-Miss Georgias.
Breaking news: there is only one Missy.
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.
I'm glad that I get to take my final walk as the princess of 2012. ...there's nothing wrong with winning an Oscar!
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.
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.
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 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.
I was Miss Chicago in 1946.
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.
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.
