Gretchen Carlson

And again, twists and turns, like how does a chubby little kid from a small town in Minnesota who plays the violin and had never won before, and Minnesota wasn't a pageant state, how did it happen? But I just used all of the same hard work ethic. And once she convinced me to do it, I decided, well, I'm really going to put 120 million percent into this then. So I actually quit Stanford.

And again, twists and turns, like how does a chubby little kid from a small town in Minnesota who plays the violin and had never won before, and Minnesota wasn't a pageant state, how did it happen? But I just used all of the same hard work ethic. And once she convinced me to do it, I decided, well, I'm really going to put 120 million percent into this then. So I actually quit Stanford.

my senior year to come home and do nothing but prepare for this. There was a lot of luck involved, but it just happened to work out. So again, another like total detour in my life of now I'm Miss America. Like, what am I doing?

my senior year to come home and do nothing but prepare for this. There was a lot of luck involved, but it just happened to work out. So again, another like total detour in my life of now I'm Miss America. Like, what am I doing?

Well, honestly, the only two reasons that I did, well, three, that I did Miss America was my violin. Because, you know, as my mom said to me, nobody's going to be able to touch your talent. Now, granted, there were tremendous talent. There were four other Juilliard students who were in the top 10 my year, opera and ballet. And I had studied at Juilliard. So we had immense talent.

Well, honestly, the only two reasons that I did, well, three, that I did Miss America was my violin. Because, you know, as my mom said to me, nobody's going to be able to touch your talent. Now, granted, there were tremendous talent. There were four other Juilliard students who were in the top 10 my year, opera and ballet. And I had studied at Juilliard. So we had immense talent.

With half your points being based on talent, you can understand how you would get to that point. But, you know, I had this talent. So that was one thing. I had the smarts to hopefully do well in the interview. But the other thing was four things. I'm incredibly competitive. And then number four was that the money that you won was scholarship money for college.

With half your points being based on talent, you can understand how you would get to that point. But, you know, I had this talent. So that was one thing. I had the smarts to hopefully do well in the interview. But the other thing was four things. I'm incredibly competitive. And then number four was that the money that you won was scholarship money for college.

And at the time, my parents had four children who were in college or going to be getting into college. And it's very expensive. And if I won, I was going to be able to pay for my whole final year at Stanford, which is exactly what happened. So, you know, Miss America at the time was the largest scholarship program in the world for women. People don't know that.

And at the time, my parents had four children who were in college or going to be getting into college. And it's very expensive. And if I won, I was going to be able to pay for my whole final year at Stanford, which is exactly what happened. So, you know, Miss America at the time was the largest scholarship program in the world for women. People don't know that.

Those were the reasons why I did it. After I won, you know, I remember looking in the mirror that night and I was like, oh, my God, this actually happened. Now what? Because I had focused so much on getting there. And I hadn't focused at all on what would it mean to actually be Miss America. And that was actually a really incredibly difficult transition for me because this was 1989.

Those were the reasons why I did it. After I won, you know, I remember looking in the mirror that night and I was like, oh, my God, this actually happened. Now what? Because I had focused so much on getting there. And I hadn't focused at all on what would it mean to actually be Miss America. And that was actually a really incredibly difficult transition for me because this was 1989.

I mean, this was still back when Miss America was spending a lot of time sitting in drugstores and shopping malls, signing autographs. And I was like, what am I doing with my life? This is not what I thought it was gonna be. So I really tried to perform my violin at every possible place.

I mean, this was still back when Miss America was spending a lot of time sitting in drugstores and shopping malls, signing autographs. And I was like, what am I doing with my life? This is not what I thought it was gonna be. So I really tried to perform my violin at every possible place.

I tried to make sure that I could speak at every possible venue so that I could continue to spread the message and try to break down the stereotypes that Miss America is not some dumb blonde, right? And that was still existing a lot. It's followed me my whole career, quite honestly. People just assume that you're a bimbo. And it was almost like my resume with all these achievements.

I tried to make sure that I could speak at every possible venue so that I could continue to spread the message and try to break down the stereotypes that Miss America is not some dumb blonde, right? And that was still existing a lot. It's followed me my whole career, quite honestly. People just assume that you're a bimbo. And it was almost like my resume with all these achievements.

All my achievements, they just disappeared. And there was a time at CBS when I took it off my resume, actually, because it was just easier to not own up to it. Now I'm to the point like, look, people, you've got to get past this. These are really smart women. But yeah, it was an interesting shift in my life and being looked at for my exterior.

All my achievements, they just disappeared. And there was a time at CBS when I took it off my resume, actually, because it was just easier to not own up to it. Now I'm to the point like, look, people, you've got to get past this. These are really smart women. But yeah, it was an interesting shift in my life and being looked at for my exterior.

What? Yes. Talk about shaming a person. Yeah. There were a lot of people that were really incredibly rude to me that year, including journalists. Some of them I got back at once I got into the television industry. I happened to run into one of them and put her in her place after I had made it a little bit. But it's a horrible, shaming experience.

What? Yes. Talk about shaming a person. Yeah. There were a lot of people that were really incredibly rude to me that year, including journalists. Some of them I got back at once I got into the television industry. I happened to run into one of them and put her in her place after I had made it a little bit. But it's a horrible, shaming experience.