Amy Dickinson does not have a degree in psychology. She is not a counselor. And she has problems of her own. So why does she get paid to dole out advice to the American public?

"I got here the hard way, and I have a master's in human experience," Dickinson said, adding that her background and her strong family network have given her precisely the expertise she needs to write the syndicated advice column "Ask Amy."

At times humorous, at times poignant, Dickinson spoke July 8 to a full crowd at the Statler Auditorium about her life and times in Freeville, N.Y., just outside Ithaca, and how she was chosen in 2003 as the successor to Ann Landers. The lecture was part of the free summer events series hosted by the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions.

Dickinson grew up on a dairy farm in Freeville, where most of her family still resides. Her father moved out, leaving her mother to raise four children alone, and after several years working as a typist at Cornell to support her family, her mother earned bachelor's and master of fine arts degrees from the university.

"I learned how to fail up, and I learned how to grab my opportunities and chances as they came my way," Dickinson said of what she took from her mother's experiences.

After graduating from Georgetown University, Dickinson married a classmate and began a career in journalism. But several years, several jobs and several cities later -- what she refers to as her "series of do-overs" -- she found herself as an underemployed freelance writer and a divorced, single mother to her daughter, Emily.

Yet one thing remained constant: the support and guidance she received from her mother, sisters and aunts. Emily dubbed this network "The Mighty Queens of Freeville," which became the title for Dickinson's memoirs, published in February. "The Mighty Queens showed me that happiness is a choice you can make," Dickinson said.

When Ann Landers died in 2002, Dickinson was ready for another do-over. She e-mailed a friend who was an editor at the Chicago Tribune, where Landers' column was published. "Now there's a job I'd like to have," Dickinson said she wrote as a joke. She was asked to apply for the position, which she eventually won over thousands of applicants. She responded to five test questions, crafting her answers from her life experiences and thinking about what the Mighty Queens would say.

Dickinson's column has 22 million readers, she receives hundreds of e-mails and letters each day, and she has appeared on the morning talk shows. She has even been a clue on "Jeopardy!" Not too bad for a woman hired by the Chicago Tribune after being ranked only second-best by focus groups -- losing out to "bring Ann Landers back from the dead."

Dickinson recently returned to Freeville, where she writes "Ask Amy." The Mighty Queens meet for breakfast every Wednesday at, aptly enough, the Dryden Queen Diner.

Graduate student Sarah Perdue is a writer intern for the Cornell Chronicle.