Olivia Culpo

“I was taught to value hard work. At the end of day, I'm just Olivia.”

“I love unsalted almonds, especially if I'm about to do a photo shoot or compete. There's no mess, and they're so easy to pack in a little Ziploc bag to take with you. It's my number one go-to snack!”

“I was studying communications and acting, and I decided over the summer that I wanted to work on my acting skills and perform in a pageant. I didn't have any other way of practicing, so I entered the Miss Rhode Island pageant. I ended up wearing a dress that was a $20 rental. It was too short, and there was a hole in the back of it.”

“I'm still really interested in acting, I love film so much. It's definitely something I'm going to explore as well.”

“I'm a real girly-girl.”

“The show I'm obsessed with watching is 'Say Yes to the Dress!' Because I love the whole makeover idea, and I'm a sap for love, of course.”

“Ryan Gosling's, like, my crush, but I don't really pay attention to his personal style.”

“Heartbreak is hard, but you find more and more things to be grateful for every day.”

“The pageant movie I'm obsessed with is 'Miss Congeniality', hands down! I could quote everything from that movie. I love so many scenes, but I always find myself quoting the scene when Sandra Bullock goes, 'I really do just want world peace!'”

“Pineapple reduces swelling.”

“My parents are both musicians and made sure we all played music. My brothers and sisters all play instruments, so we'll get together whenever we can and play. We play a lot of classical music - you know, the good stuff.”

“I think that, if anything, the pageant is great for people who suffer from body issues. It's all about being comfortable with what you're given and what you have and being able to flaunt it without being insecure. It's about empowering women, not making them feel weak or less.”

“It really comes down to being able to inspire others by being comfortable with yourself. You have to show girls that everyone is different; everyone has things they don't like, but they work it and walk the runway.”

“I do want to finish my education. I just don't think that Boston has a big enough market for what I want to do.”

“There is no ideal body. It's just taking what you have and working it.”

“The whole process of winning the pageant has been so amazing, I'm really excited to move forward into all kinds of projects.”

“I love Evian face spray because it's a really easy way to just freshen up your face, especially if you're traveling on an airplane - I get really dry on airplanes.”

“I learned the importance of being confident. I think that at the end of the day, it's not so much about what you look like - it's really about the way that you feel. That resonates with people.”

“You're filmed that one very special day of the pageant, and you want to make sure you're as ready to go as you can be.”

“Every day is a blessing.”