The stage lights burned brightly. An audience of thousands stretched out into the dark recesses of the arena. I was standing on the Miss USA stage, a dream come true for so many young women and an incredible memory that I will treasure for years to come. But, an even greater experience that stemmed from my time at Miss USA was my time with Donald Trump.
I briefly met Mr. Trump for the first time the night before the Miss USA telecast. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I had always looked up to Mr. Trump for his business acumen and career successes. I had read his books when I was in college preparing to apply to law school and found him to be a fascinating leader.
Mr. Trump was very gracious. He shook my hand and we briefly discussed the Miss USA pageant and the upcoming 2014 elections. Of course, he smiled when I mentioned the failures of Obamacare. Before we could finish our conversation, I was rushed backstage to continue rehearsals.