Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983 in Checotah, Oklahoma) is an American country singer who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol.

She was born and raised on a farm in Checotah, and graduated from Checotah High School in 2001 as salutatorian. Underwood attended Northeastern State University, where she majored in mass communication and is a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. She also competed in numerous beauty pageants at the university and was selected as Miss NSU runner-up in 2004.