The crown looks good on her! Miss Arkansas Savvy Shields beat 51 other hopefuls to win the 2017 Miss America title during the 96th annual pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Sunday, September 11.
Shields, 21, celebrated her big night with a shout-out to her Twitter followers after the event. “I’m Savvy Shields and I am now Miss America!” she said in a video. “I am so excited to see you all. Thank you!”
Shields, who succeeded the 2016 Miss America winner, Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell, had some stiff competition at this year’s pageant. The first runner-up was Miss South Carolina Rachel Wyatt and the second runner-up was Miss New York Camille Sims.
Here, Us Weekly rounds up five things to know about Shields:
1. She’s Heading Back to School
The Fayetteville, Arkansas, native will return to the University of Arkansas as a senior art major and business minor. “I want to hopefully work in a museum and teach at a collegiate level,” she said, via CNN.
2. She’s a Sorority Sister
Shields is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Last month, she posted a photo of herself wearing her sash outside a sorority house. “Feeling so very loved tonight. The biggest thank you in the world to everyone who came by Kappa tonight,” she captioned the post. “I am so humbled by all of the kindness I have received this past month and am so excited to represent you all at the Miss America pageant. So much love and so much virtual hugs.”
3. She Lives a Very Healthy Lifestyle
The pageant beauty sticks to clean eating and hits the gym often. Last month, she revealed via Instagram that #EatBetterLiveBetter is her Miss America platform. Some tasty (and nutrient-filled!) recipes that she’s shared on social media include a banana smoothie and salmon with a side of Brussels sprouts.
“Arkansas is now one of the most obese states in the country and it’s scary to think about that,” Shields told KFSM in July. “I think sometimes healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle comes with negative connotations and scary connotations. So my thing in learning about this process, the only thing I need to learn is tactical and tangible ways to do so.”
4. She Has a Boyfriend
According to reports, Shields is dating a man named Nate Wolf. “A special thank you needs to go to the greatest boyfriend in pageant history. He’s the real deal,” she wrote in a recent social media post.
5. She’s Obsessed With Smash and Beyonce
Shields performed a jazzy rendition of “They Just Keep Moving the Line” from the canceled NBC series during Sunday night’s competition. “I love Smash, and it’s playing in my car every second I get it,” she said after the show, via NJ.com. Additionally, she said that it’s always been her “secret dream” to be a backup dancer for Queen Bey.
Relive some of Shields’ best moments at the pageant in the video above!
