Shannon Lee Sanderford (born March 9, 1992) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from

Coppell, Texas Coppell ( ) is a city in the northwest corner of Dallas County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is a suburb of Dallas and a bedroom community in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its population was 42,983 at the 2020 census. A small area in the ...

, who was crowned

Miss Texas The Miss Texas competition was founded in 1937 as a scholarship contest for young women. The winner represents Texas in the Miss America pageant; three winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America (but none since 1975). To become Miss Texas ...

2015. She competed for the Miss America 2016 title in September 2015 and placed in the Top 10.

Pageant career

Early pageants

In her first try for

, Sanderford won the Miss San Jacinto 2013 title. She competed in the 2013 Miss Texas pageant with the platform "Double Beauty" and a vocal performance in the talent portion of the competition. She was named Overall Interview Winner but was not a finalist for the state title. On November 30, 2013, Sanderford won the Miss Duncanville 2014 title. She competed in the 2014 Miss Texas pageant with the platform "Mentoring Made Easy" and a vocal performance in the talent portion of the competition. She was named was a Top-10 finalist for the state title.

Miss Texas 2015

On November 29, 2014, Sanderford was crowned Miss Fort Worth 2015 which made her eligible to compete at the 2015 Miss Texas pageant. Entering the state pageant at the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson, Texas, in June 2015 as one of 57 qualifiers, Sanderford's competition talent was a pop vocal performance of " Dear Future Husband". Her platform is "She Matters". Sanderford won the competition on Saturday, July 4, 2015, when she received her crown from outgoing Miss Texas titleholder

Monique Evans Monique Evans (born Monique Rezende Nery da Fonseca on July 5, 1956) is a Brazilian model, actress and television presenter. She was a participant on seasons third and fourth of '' A Fazenda''. ''A Fazenda'' On September 28, 2010, Monique Evan ...

. She earned more than $15,000 in scholarship money and other prizes from the state pageant. As Miss Texas, her activities include public appearances across the state of Texas.

Vying for Miss America 2016

Sanderford was Texas's representative at the Miss America 2016 pageant in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, in September 2015. In the televised finale on September 13, 2015, she sang Dusty Springfield's " Son of a Preacher Man" during the talent portion of the competition. Sanderford placed in the Top 10 finalists and earned a $7,000 scholarship award.

Personal life and education

Sanderford is a native of

, and a 2010 graduate of

Faith Christian School (Texas) Grapevine Faith Christian School (GFCS) is a private Christian school in Grapevine, Texas, United States. Athletics GFCS participates as a member of TAPPS. Their Athletic teams are nicknamed The Lions. In December 2016, the varsity Lions football ...

. Her father is Wayne Everett Sanderford and her mother is Nancy Lee Wilkinson Sanderford. In 2014, Sanderford graduated from the University of Oklahoma where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and advertising. While a student at Oklahoma, she became a member of the Chi Omega women's fraternity. Sanderford is a marketing coordinator working in the Dallas area.

References

External links

Miss Texas official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanderford, Shannon Living people 1992 births American beauty pageant winners Miss America 2016 delegates People from Coppell, Texas University of Oklahoma alumni