A Colorado State University graduate is headed to Atlantic City to compete for the Miss America title in September.

Miss Mile High-turned-Miss Colorado, Shannon Patilla, graduated from CSU last year after studying health and exercise science. She's now earning a Master's degree in healthcare administration from CSU Global, the Coloradoan reports.

Patilla says being part of the Miss America tradition is what she's most looking forward to in Atlantic City.

"The Miss America Organization is an important part of our culture; being one of the largest scholarship providers for women across the country, and encouraging excellence among all participants," she told the Coloradoan.

So what will her talent at the pageant be? Singing, of course!

"I started performing at a very, very young age at church," she says in the video above. "My dad was the choir director at church, so I was always in the choir. When I really started to get my own kind of voice was when I attended Denver School of the Arts for middle school and high school."

Cheer on Miss Colorado Shannon Patilla at the Miss America pageant when it airs September 11 on ABC (Denver7). 

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