 Natalie Shaw, Miss New Hampshire 2008, is a music teacher at Hallsville and McDonough elementary schools in Manchester. (BRUCE TAYLOR/Union Leader) |
“I started to compete because it gave me an opportunity to sing,” she said of her lifelong passion.
Her amazing vocals gave her another opportunity: She won the Miss New Hampshire 2008 pageant Saturday and a ticket to compete for Miss America in January.
“This has been a dream of mine for so long,” she said in an interview the day after the pageant. “I’m still a little overwhelmed.”
Shaw sang “Climb Every Mountain” from the “Sound of Music” about overcoming obstacles and searching high and low to find one’s dream.
Speaking of dreams, the 23-year-old Manchester resident said she has imagined vying for Miss America since she watched the contest as a little girl with her mother. When she started competing in her teens, her mother Yvonne and her father Winston encouraged her to challenge herself.
“She always told me to stay focused,” she said of her mother.
Shaw, a six-time contestant in Miss New Hampshire, said past competitions helped her become a more well-rounded performer. “I think I was just ready as a contestant,” she said.
Twenty-two contestants vied for Miss New Hampshire 2008, a pageant that awarded $81,000 in scholarship funds.
Shaw won $15,000 with the title, money she is putting toward her college loans. She graduated from Manchester’s Central High School in 2002 and from Plymouth State University in 2006.
Miss New Hampshire 2008 is back to work today, resuming her job teaching music in the Manchester school district. She works at the Hallsville and McDonough elementary schools.
She plans to continue to teach and to one day perform professionally, eventually opening her own studio.
 Natalie Shaw has competed six times for the Miss New Hampshire title, this year as Miss Hooksett. She now goes on to the Miss America Pageant in January. (JAMES COOK/Union Leader) |
When she was little, Shaw recalled how she and her family would volunteer for SHARE New England, now known as Serve New England, a multi-state cooperative providing food discounts.
“What’s touched me the most is how many people need help,” she said.
As she celebrated her first 24 hours as Miss New Hampshire, Shaw allowed herself time to enjoy the honor with her parents, family and friends. She has three sisters. Besides her day job in music teaching, she expects to have a busy schedule this summer and fall as Miss New Hampshire.
Amid the camera flashes during a batch of media interviews, Shaw flashed her award-winning smile, adding a touch of humility to her poise, confidence and accomplishment.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” she said with a laugh.
