Miss Pennsylvania, Shannon Doyle and fellow contestant Brittani DeVore

For many, the opportunity to compete in the Miss America Scholarship Pageant is a fantasy local titleholders only dream of. It’s a week of glitter and glam; a night of talent and brilliance — something elegant.

For those who are thinking of Miss Teen North Carolina answering with, “I personally believe…,” do not mistake the USA system for the America system. They are very different girls with very different goals and objectives, trust me, I am one of them.

This year, Miss Pennsylvania Shannon Doyle will take the Planet Hollywood stage to impress the judges and represent the state of Pennsylvania at the Miss America Pageant. With a sizzling talent and an unforgettable wardrobe from Regalia, Shannon is sure to leave a lasting impression; one which will hopefully bring the crown home to Pa.

Mario Lopez will once again be hosting the Miss America Pageant this year. “It’s great to be associated with such a respected and relevant organization, and TLC has turned the pageant into a must-watch event,” Mario said.

The Miss America Pageant also puts a spotlight on national judges: from the field of beauty, actress Vivica Fox; from the field of community service, Miss America 2002 Katie Harman; from the field of fitness, Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson; from the field of talent, Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Dave Koz; from the field of Communications and Interview, Radio Show Conservative Rush Limbaugh; and finally, from the field of Creating America’s Rising Talent, American Idol finalist Brooke White.

This year, the panel is quite diverse and extremely accomplished. A third year medical student at Jefferson Medical College, Doyle is no stranger to dedication and hard work.

As an advocate for the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Organization, she also works closely with her personal platform ‘Home Away from Home: Enriching the Lives of Hospitalized Children.’ The goal of this program is to create a more welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for terminally ill children during their stays at the hospital.

“Wear A Smile” is the fundraising portion of Doyle’s platform, where she promotes “smiley face” bracelet sales through speaking engagements at elementary schools. It is Shannon’s hope that she can expand her program to benefit children’s hospitals throughout all of Pennsylvania.

As a local titleholder, I have had the opportunity to get to know Shannon not only on a competitive level but a personal level as well. She is by far one of the most intelligent, sweet and caring individuals I have ever met. Shannon is beautiful and deserves the title of Miss America; she has worked extremely hard.

I am very excited to head to Vegas and support her journey to the stage.

Pennsylvania has had an exciting year in sports with the Philadelphia Phillies winning the World Series, the Pittsburgh Steelers winning the SuperBowl, and the Pittsburgh Penguins winning the Stanley Cup.

Watch Shannon compete for the title of Miss America on Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. live on TLC, as she hopes to bring another national title home to Pennsylvania.