Gretchen Carlson

“We all remember growing up with mean girls, right?”

“I wasn't naive, but at the end of my Miss America year, when two different executives attacked me during what I thought were informational interviews about jobs, I was shocked. I didn't see it coming, and the worst thing about it was the shame I felt, as if I'd done something wrong.”

“I'm ready to move on to the next chapter of my life in which I will redouble my efforts to empower women in the workplace.”

“Nothing was ever handed to me. My hope is that when people read my story, it will inspire them to reach for their goals and not give up. The real story is this: if I can do it, you can, too.”

“I am extremely proud of my accomplishments at 'Fox News' and for keeping our loyal viewers engaged and informed on events and news topics of the day.”

“My grandfather was the minister at the Lutheran church. My dad owned a car dealership in town. My mom was the consummate volunteer and cheerleader for me.”

“My parents raised me with a never-give-up attitude, telling me I could be anything I wanted to be. I was a serious violinist and a valedictorian of my high school class. I knew all about hard work.”

“Be brave and be fearless, and for God's sake, stand up for yourself.”

“We like to say Miss America is the classy one. It has a talent category. I would have been dead last in Miss USA - I'm five foot three, I'm not a model, and I never wanted to be one.”

“There are no guarantees in life, but I believe faith provides all of us with a foundation to live the best lives possible - knowing that there is a higher being who loves us and will never leave us. Through the many struggles in my life, my faith is sometimes the only thing I have to hold onto. God was my only friend.”

“If you Google me, you'll find plenty of 'dumb blonde' references - even though I graduated with honors from Stanford and studied at Oxford University. I don't let it bother me.”

“I've always been an incredibly strong person, and I've also been underestimated.”

“Becoming Miss America was one of those things. It immediately changed what I thought I was going to do with the rest of my life.”

“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.”

“Once I turned 40, I stopped giving a rip about my detractors, the people who say nasty things. It's more candid and honest than it would have been. I share my failures, which is important.”

“Let's teach our girls and boys how to show the same respect to their colleagues in the workplace they show their moms and sisters at home.”

“My advice to people who've lost their job: go back to the things that made you from the start.”

“Sometimes when women come forward about sexual harassment, they're seen as a troublemaker.”

“When people watch me on TV, they see part of my life. I wanted to let them know the real me behind the scenes. The child who was a concert violinist from the age of six. The young woman who took on the challenge to compete in the Miss America pageant. The television journalist for twenty-five years.”

“I am saddened by the prevalence of powerful men disrespecting and objectifying women - and getting away with it for years.”