violence, my mother had to make a decision to take me and both my
sisters and leave when I was four years old. My father is not part
of my life.“
"I am the first woman (and the second
person) in my family to get a degree. My mom thought the idea was
great, but she said, ‘College costs money, honey.’ Here’s
my mom slinging hash in casinos and restaurants around Reno to make
ends meet. When we couldn’t make them meet, my sisters and I
lived with my maternal grandparents. My boss at Junior Achievement
told me about Miss America. When I walked in, I wondered why everyone
looked scared. Then they began talking about being Miss Sparks, Miss
Nevada, Miss America, and I thought ‘Whoa, wait a minute!’
“The Miss America Organization has funded my entire undergraduate
degree; I now have about $15,000 to apply toward graduate school.
Whether I walk away with the crown or not, mission accomplished.”
Teresa stunned the judges and audience with her dramatic monologue
from The Laramie Project, a two minute excerpt from Matthew Shepherd’s
father’s testimony during the trial of the men who killed his
gay son in 1998. She was named third runner up to Miss America, and
won $44,000 in scholarships during the competition in Atlantic City.