Rima Fakih

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 13 and it was something we weren't really aware of as a family.

I'm not a party animal; I took my job as Miss USA very seriously... Sometimes, of course, I want to let it all go. Even though I'm a beauty queen, you're also an unofficial ambassador, and there's a lot of pressure.

I'm Miss USA, not Miss Religion USA.

I believe that birth control is just like every other medication even though it's a controlled substance.

I understand there are a lot of people looking up to me.

I do like to have fun. I don't need alcohol to have fun.

They say 'expect the worst.' I say 'Expect the best and even better will happen.'

We're a Muslim family, but we're also very cultured and we have a mixture of different religions. For example, my brother-in-law is Catholic, and my sister converted and my nephews are baptized. I have an uncle who just graduated and currently he's a priest.

Everyone should be proud of who they are and where they come from because America is a big melting pot of diverse ethnicities. It's great to be part of this wonderful country.

I went out with some old friends and we were having fun. A couple of them were very intoxicated. When I went to leave, I refused to let them drive. So when I got pulled over, I was the driver.

My family is just an amazing melting pot of wonderful religions and faiths.