Last month, she revealed via Instagram that #EatBetterLiveBetter is her Miss America platform.
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On Monday morning, she kicked off her sandals and walked across the seaside gambling resort’s shell-strewn beach to the surf line, where she ran ankle-deep in the incoming waves and jumped into the air twice. After the show, Shields told reporters that she believes the presidential candidates and political parties need to start compromising. “I feel like that’s every dancer’s secret dream is to be a backup dancer for Beyoncé, especially with her new tour”.
“I want to hopefully work in a museum and teach at a collegiate level”, Shields said about her plans for the future.
The competition began in 1921 as a beauty competition on the Atlantic City boardwalk.
Savvy Shields won the competition with a jazz dance routine to a song from the TV show “Smash”.
It includes contestants from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Shields will receive a $50,000 scholarship as well as a paid salary during her reign as Miss America.
Miss South Carolina Rachel Wyatt was named the first runner-up and won a $25,00 scholarship.
“Our country was founded on compromise”, she said.
Shields succeeds Betty Cantrell, the outgoing Miss America 2016, after beating 51 other contestants to the title at the event held at the Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City. Miss Kentucky Laura Katherine Jones was the victor of “America’s Choice”, an online competition where viewers were given the opportunity to vote for their favorite Miss America contestant entirely on social media. The 21-year-old from Fayetteville is a senior art major and business minor, according to the Miss Arkansas website.
As the yearly rite geared up over the past week, much of the attention has been on Missouri’s Erin O’Flaherty, 23, who in June became the first openly lesbian contestant in the history of the almost century-old pageant.
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ABC reports that O’Flaherty is the first Miss America contestant to win a title after coming out. Savvy Shields, Miss Arkasas and the eventual victor of the night, performed a number from that network show we all loved to hate, Smash!
