PLYMOUTH, N.H.--- Natalie Shaw, a 2006 graduate of Plymouth State University, was crowned Miss New Hampshire 2008 on Saturday, May 2 at the annual state pageant.
The 23-year old Shaw currently teaches music in Manchester, NH elementary schools. She graduated from PSU with a bachelor's degree in music, concentrating in voice performance and pedagogy. She also minored in theatre at the University.
Music Professor Kathleen Arecchi fondly remembers her former student as a highly poised young woman who earned excellent grades and had a longtime commitment to competing in the Miss America program.
"This has been something she has worked for quite a while," said Arecchi. "She was a good student. She was very talented, with a beautiful voice. She was also a very nice person."
Another PSU faculty member, Associate Theatre Professor Elizabeth Cox, had an equally positive assessment of Shaw's time as a PSU student.
"Natalie was a very graceful and charming young woman," said Cox. "She was very dedicated as a music major and was an excellent student. She acted in several musical theatre productions, providing an opportunity for her to demonstrate her range in singing and performance."
Shaw, a veteran of five previous Miss New Hampshire pageants, will use her new title to try to call attention to hunger issues. Shaw has had a strong interest in hunger relief going back to her time as a young girl, when she would do volunteer work for various organizations with her family.
For more information about this release, contact Bill Laforme at (603) 535-2211 or wjlaforme@plymouth.edu.