She served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, then became the first female Secretary of State. Now, she can add Medal of Freedom recipient to that impressive resume.

The White House announced yesterday that Madeleine Albright will receive the nation's highest civilian honor. She also has a new book,  called "Prague Winter: A personal story of remembrance and war, 1937-1948."

This morning on "Starting Point," Soledad asked Secretary Albright what it felt like to receive such a high honor.

"I am so honored to have gotten the Medal of Freedom," Albright says. "It makes me feel very proud to be an American, and that's the story that goes together."

Albright also explains how learning more about her family background and experiences helped shape her career.

"What it has done is kind of add a complexity and richness to what I know about myself and hope very much that the story that I tell will explain to people, not only the importance of knowing your roots, but also of understanding motivations, credibility, and the importance of being resilient," she adds.

See another clip from the interview here.