Valerie Gatto was crowned Miss Pennsylvania in 2014. However, the beauty queenu2019s life started under very difficult circumstance. Valerie had been vocal about the fact that her mother was raped at knife point and that was how she conceived. She has used her fame to speak on behalf of other children conceived in rape. She states, u201cI donu2019t mind being an advocate for something like this. Thereu2019s not that many role models for young women out there today that are actually positive and uplifting, and thatu2019s why I got into pageantry.u201dnnValerieu2019s mother initially tried to keep her pregnancy a secret but when she finally admitted it, she was met with tremendous support from her family. Valerieu2019s mother decided to try and turn a negative into a positive. nnValerie says of her mother, u201cShe always would tell me I was her light u2014 I am the light to illuminate the darkness for all to see, and I look at it from that moment of conception, there has been that light associated with darkness.u201dn