FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- After Savvy Shields' win at the Miss America competition Sunday (Sept. 11), those who know her are celebrating her hard work.
"The screaming that ensued when her name was called at the end is something I will never forget," said Hannah Pasquinzo, owner of Art of Motion Dance Studio in Fayetteville. "I cried through the whole thing. It was emotional. It is amazing. I could not be more proud."
Pasquinzo’s dance studio is where Shields spent several nights a week practicing her dance routine. The routine was her showcase in the talent portion of the competition.
"Savvy is one student I had that I had a special relationship with," Pasquinzo said. "So for me personally, it was really exciting."
Shields, who is from Fayetteville, was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at the University of Arkansas. Her fellow sorority sisters did not waste time showing their pride outside the house on campus, flying a large banner celebrating her win.
Pasquinzo said she was not surprised that Shields took the crown.
"I just had a hunch that she maybe could win," Pasquinzo said. "She is a professional. Her performance was incredible. She shined."
Pasquinzo said she is looking forward to congratulating Shields when she returns home.
"I am going to hug her neck and tell her that she did it and that I knew that she would," she said. "I could not be more proud."