WASHINGTON -- Miss Arkansas headed to the nation's capital this week to meet the other Miss America hopefuls, tour the landmarks and introduce herself to federal lawmakers.
While in town, she toured the White House, climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and survived a security scare during a visit to Capitol Hill.
The winner, Savvy Shields of Fayetteville, left for Washington less than a dozen hours after winning her scholarship, sash and tiara.
The University of Arkansas student was the last of the 52 contestants to claim a ticket to the nationwide pageant, so there was little time to savor the victory.
"It still doesn't seem real yet," Shields said during a break Wednesday afternoon. "It's all been a blur."
While in town, the pageant winners attended orientation sessions, but they also found time to hit the tourist attractions and view the historic sites.
The highlight, thus far, has been the time spent at the U.S. Capitol, she said.
"I got to meet all four of our congressmen right after they got off the floor after voting," she said. "It's exciting and humbling to think that a 21-year-old girl gets to go into Congress and share her story and her voice gets to be heard."
She shared her message with them and also got the chance to visit with U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton.
"My platform is 'Eat Better, Live Better,'" she said. "I am all about teaching, fully encouraging and enabling healthier lifestyles in Arkansas because Arkansas is one of the most obese states and it's scary to think about. But if we take steps early on and we educate ourselves about how to treat ourselves well, we'll hopefully be able to save ourselves later on."
A new Miss America will be crowned Sept. 11 in Atlantic City, N.J.
Between now and then, the young women are building relationships, not just rivalries, she said.
"We're forming lifelong friendships," she said.
While visiting Cotton's Senate offices, officials initiated a lockdown of the Capitol while lawmen searched for a suspect a few blocks away.
People were told to take cover and "a couple of the girls were in the hallways, so they got locked in the closets, which is kind of terrifying," Shields said.
Things were calmer at the White House. While contestants didn't see the president, they did run into his two Portuguese water dogs.
"We got to meet Bo and Sunny, the first dogs," Shields said.
Thanks to smartphones, the meeting has been recorded for history. "It's really blurry but I've got a selfie," she said.
Robin Houseworth, director of field operations for the Miss Arkansas Pageant, accompanied Shields on the journey.
"It's been a whirlwind, let me tell you," Houseworth said.
The beauty queen has represented the state well, according to Houseworth. "She has done excellent with very little sleep. She just has a contagious smile and that smile has not been removed from her face as of yet, so she is having a grand time here."
Shields plans to visit Baltimore later this week to meet with officials from Citgo, one of the pageant's sponsors. She is scheduled to return to Arkansas on Friday night.
Metro on 07/14/2016