“I'm not a real pageant person because it's so much the external and I think a person is made of inner beauty, ... As I found out more about the pageant then I began to get interested and it's about what you're doing to help other people.”
“My oldest daughter (Teresa Anderson) is developmentally disabled which that's mentally retarded it's just a new word for it that most people don't know, ... I came to have a love for the developmentally disabled and found a need for people serving them in the areas they need help.”
“One of the good things is that I met a lot of new friends in it. Somehow when you get past 60 you're not as competitive and so we were all just like a bunch of old girlfriends at the contest, ... you have improved your talent, your speaking ability, you certainly enhanced your life with getting to know these people.”
“[The pageant is not just about charities and talents for Kirkman it also shows a respect and love for her maturity.] Our happiness level depends on what we focus on and I choose to focus on the good, and that's the way I survived. I look at my age so much differently now. Really, I do anything I want to do, ... We don't have to hit a rocking chair when we get 60 years old; we still have a lot of energy and talents to contribute to our society.”
