mrs. duncan's student was one of the defining moments of her life. she was 9 years old. mrs. an joins us now. what are your memories of oprah? >> i'm very happy to have the opportunity to speak about how i feel about oprah. at the time she was in my fourth grade class, she was outstanding, very good student in all areas, especially in reading. even the students loved to hear her read. >> larry: was she a good talker. >> she surely was. >> larry: now, she's been very open about the hardships she had as a childhood, difficult things. did you know how tough things were for her? >> no, i didn't. she spent time talking about when she was talking with me, about her dad. she thought so much of her dad. she still does. >> larry: are you surprised at all that's happened to her? >> you know, at that time, i felt that she might become a teacher herself. and i really thought, i think she thought about it, too. becoming a teacher. she was capable. >> larry: sure was. gayle king, anything you want to say to mary alice duncan? >> you've asked it, larry. i was curious about what she was like