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

Some girls like to say one thing and mean another. And me being who I am, I'm very straightforward.

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.

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.

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

It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me.