Miss America 2017, Savvy Shields of Fayetteville, will return to campus Saturday, Oct. 22, as part of a week to celebrate her crowning achievement with the university community.

Shields graced the Miss America stage and wowed the judges with her confidence, poise, and talent in September, when she took home the title of Miss America 2017 and a $50,000 scholarship award.

She will participate in a parade, the "Miss America Welcome Home Parade," which starts at 4 p.m. It will lead down Dickson Street to the Chi Omega Greek Theatre, where she will make remarks and be joined by Miss Arkansas, Miss Mississippi, Miss South Carolina, Miss Washington, Miss New York, Miss Tennessee, Miss Oklahoma, Miss Alabama, Miss America's Outstanding Teen and Miss Arkansas' Outstanding Teen.

Shields is a 21-year-old senior at the University of Arkansas where she studies art with a minor in business. She plans to travel the country on a year of service to promote her personal platform, "Eat Better, Live Better," which aims to educate people on how the foods you eat make an impact on your life as a whole. During her year, she will also serve as the National Goodwill Ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Shields hopes to use her time as Miss America to advocate for change in the mindset of people across our nation by encouraging them to embrace a lifestyle that can drastically improve their health.

She is the second University of Arkansas student to win the crown. Donna Axum Whitworth won the Miss America Pageant in 1965.

Shields is a native of Fayetteville and the daughter of Todd and Karen Shields. Todd Shields is the dean of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Her elevation to Miss America meant that another University of Arkansas student, Savannah Skidmore, became Miss Arkansas. Skidmore, a senior journalism major from Calico Rock, is the daughter of Jerry and Kim Skidmore.

Shields will also participate in events at Little Rock on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 20-21, including a stop at the Governor's Mansion, a visit to Arkansas Children's Hospital and a black-tie gala. On Sunday, Oct. 23, she will participate in a breakfast at the Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter house.