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With such a packed schedule, she often finds herself flying out of Washington, D.C., after a morning of lobbying, hoping to land in Pittsburgh in time for her next Pitt class in behavioral science or epidemiology, which is the study of how often diseases occur in different groups of people and why.
Without the diabetic episode at the Miss Virginia pageant in 1997, she believes her life would have been much different, even when it came to winning Miss America. Her recollection of the pageant is not one of adrenaline and applause, but of how the experience gave her a new perspective. "It was a way for me to get up on a stage, to perform, to strive for something, to be involved with something while I was living with a chronic disease. It helped me look outside my condition," Johnson says.
Nicole and Heather Whitestone in
the Boardwalk parade - 2004 |
While winning Miss America was the thrill of a lifetime, there is a downside. "A lot of people hate to hear me say this—those who are intense fans of the organization, and I am a fan as well, but every day I have to fight against the perception from society that you’re just another pretty face. I’m amazed at how many people ask, ‘How can you truly be advocating for a cause when you stand up on stage in a swimsuit?’"
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