Change text size 
Print
ShareFormer Miss America Makes Diabetes Her Platform
As Miss America 1999, Nicole Johnson Baker broke with tradition -- no parades or ribbon cuttings for her. Instead she created her own path: advocating for diabetes. Her mission was both public and personal, for Nicole was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 19.
Meet Nicole
Nicole Johnson Baker was just like any other college student -- she needed money for her education. When she learned the Miss America program provides scholarships, she entered a couple of local pageants. One thing led to another, and soon Nicole found herself being crowned Miss Virginia. Around the same time, the Miss America program began putting more emphasis on community service and volunteerism in its selection process. It was perfect timing for Nicole.
"I was already volunteering a lot for diabetes, which was helping me deal with my own condition, and that fit in with the pageant's changing emphasis," Nicole says. "I began to see the pageant as an opportunity to spread the message about diabetes -- to tell people with diabetes that they shouldn't feel ashamed or limited, nor should they have to suffer discrimination."
"When I entered the national pageant, I never thought I'd win. I just wanted to talk on national television about diabetes," she says. "My goal was to make it into the top five, because those women would sit on the sofa and share what stirred their souls. Once I did that, my plan was to return home and continue to advocate for diabetes."
