SM: What is your biggest achievement?
Christy Carlson Romano: Because every achievement is different, I’m just taking them as they come. I just try to bring integrity to everything I do, no matter how small it is. Taking the time, giving fans who struggle with being shy a moment of feeling beautiful and like, “Oh my God, this is what confidence feels like.” That’s really important to me.

SM: Why did you choose go to Columbia University?
Christy Carlson Romano: Because it was the best school I got into and because I was the first in my family to go to an Ivy League school. I’ve actually taken some time off from [political studies], but I’m very interested in local politics in Connecticut. I’ve worked in DC on Capitol Hill and it’s something that’s definitely part of my personality, something I’m interested in because it’s so much more important than Hollywood. But I’ve also tried to do everything at once and it really didn’t work. So right now I’m focusing on my acting and my singing.