This week is a special guest-feature episode from She Wins, where Here She Is hosts Jaime Fox Hardwick and Karissa Horowicz hop to the other side of the mic with Heather Sumlin of She Wins Podcast.

We talk sisterhood, pivots, redefining “winning,” and the life lessons the Miss America system sparked, plus the real stories that led to Here She Is becoming what it is today. Big thanks to Heather for letting us share this conversation with our listeners.

Make sure to follow She Wins Podcast on IG at @shewins.podcast

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Tara Wheeler, Miss Virginia 2008, went from not placing in her very first pageant to standing on the Miss America stage just a few years later. In this episode, Tara shares how breaking stereotypes shaped her journey. From ice hockey goalie to news anchor, from freelance reporter to primetime host, and now to military spouse, dance fitness instructor, and nonprofit leader - Tara has found her way no matter where life has taken her.

We talk about identity after the crown, chasing big dreams while bartending at 2 a.m., navigating career pivots, and learning to “bloom where you’re planted.”

You can follow Tara on Instagram at @taraonthetv

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She was Miss Maryland 1988, a baton-twirling powerhouse who brought unmatched preparation to the stage and earned a spot at Miss America. But Lori Windsor Hunt’s story didn’t end with a crown.

In this episode, Lori shares how fierce ambition gave way to unexpected pivots- from earning her master’s degree and planning for a CEO role, to becoming a stay-at-home mom of twins and leading a thriving community service club in Alabama. She reflects on identity, impact, resilience through a recent cancer diagnosis, and the legacy of mentorship she’s now leaving through local pageants and service.

It’s a powerful story of growth, grit, and letting go.

You can follow Lori on Facebook - Lori Windsor Hunt.

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It started with a local crown and a big dream, and led to a lifelong career.

In this episode of Here She Is, we talk with Dianah Gibson, Miss Washington County 1988, whose pageant journey became the unexpected launchpad for a decades‑long career in broadcast journalism. What started as a way to earn scholarship money turned into her first radio job and eventually into becoming a trusted voice on WFRE and WFMD in Maryland.

Dianah shares how early setbacks led to the title she was truly meant to win, why community involvement mattered more to her than appearances, and how faith and persistence shaped both her career and her life as a mom, wife, and media professional.

From pageant stage to morning show mic, her story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the path that doesn’t go as planned is the one that leads exactly where you’re meant to be.

You can listen to Dianah on WFRE and WFMD in Frederick, Maryland.

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At just 17 years old, Alison Catherine White became one of the youngest women ever crowned Miss Delaware. She went on to win the Bert Parks Talent Award at Miss America and perform at the Kennedy Center, but her journey didn’t end there.

In this episode, Alison shares how she built a career in marketing and events with powerhouses like Madison Square Garden, Disney, and Saks Global, while staying rooted in volunteerism, sisterhood, and faith. From pageants to powerhouse executive, Alison’s story is about resilience, reinvention, and believing in the impossible.

Follow Alison on Instagram at @missde97

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Kathleen Hebert was crowned Miss Vermont 1972—but her pageant story wasn’t the typical fairytale. After placing first runner-up the year before, Kathleen returned determined to stop performing for approval and start living in truth. What happened next earned her national attention as what she calls “the first radical queen.”

In this episode, Kathleen shares how refusing to be scripted changed everything—from her Miss America experience, to life as a working singer, house cleaner, artist, teacher, and author. She opens up about surviving profound childhood trauma, finding healing through creativity, and why she now teaches others that no talent is required to become an artist—only permission to be yourself.

This is a conversation about resilience, identity, and the freedom that comes when you stop trying to be who the world demands.

Caroline Weinroth, Miss Roanoke Valley 2019, joins us to talk about using the Miss America stage to launch a career in indie music, arts education, and punk-pop performance. As the frontwoman of the band Cinema Hearts, Caroline shares how she blended talent with advocacy, played over 500 shows (including opening for Hozier!), and turned her pageant experience into a platform for empowering girls in music. She’s also a music teacher, DJ, and collector of vintage Miss America memorabilia — all while staying unapologetically herself. From DIY talents to viral songs and community impact, Caroline proves you don’t need a national title to make a legacy.

Follow Caroline on IG and TikTok - @cinemahearts

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As we bring 2025 to a close, we want to wish our listeners a very happy holiday! Karissa and Jaime share a brief message and a little holiday surprise... an original holiday song written and performed by Jaime! We hope you will come back on January 7th as we kick off the new year with another great interview!

Add Jaime's song to your holiday playlist:

Apple

https://music.apple.com/us/album/everydays-a-holiday-with-you/1863792596?i=1863792601

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/track/08Zg6kkRopn0PCaOhbfEUx?si=H5yXZnSKR5SUecABHZabug

Elizabeth Borowsky has spent her life at the piano. She's an international concert pianist, composer, teacher, and former Maryland local titleholder. But in 2024, an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis forced her to slow down, listen inward, and reimagine her relationship with music, identity, and control.

In this episode of Here She Is, Elizabeth shares how she continued teaching through treatment, why she refused to disconnect from her art, and how a chance reconnection with a meditation coach led to the creation of Inner Harmony, a powerful album of piano and guided meditation written in real time during chemotherapy and radiation.

Together, we talk about vulnerability, beauty, letting go of perfection, and what it means to become more than the roles we cling to. This is a conversation about music as survival, healing as transformation, and learning to trust the harmony within when life no longer follows the score.

To learn even more about Elizabeth, check out her website - www.elizabethborowsky.com and follow her on Instagram at @girlpiantist

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Dr. Beth Ann Rankin Baker’s story is a reminder that the crown is never the destination. It’s the training ground.

After six years of competing for Miss Arkansas, she finally won the title in 1994. What followed was a life filled with unexpected phone calls, once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunities, and a calling toward service.

In this episode, Beth Ann shares:

• How not winning early built the character she needed for the life ahead
• The miraculous moment she was discovered by pianist Dino Kartsonakis
• Her transition from Branson performer to working in the Arkansas Governor’s office
• Her passion for education, her faith, and her upcoming role in the Arkansas legislature
• The deeply personal journey of finding love and navigating seasons of waiting

It’s a conversation about purpose, timing, resilience, and the beauty in every chapter.
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