Shanon Lersch was crowned the new Miss Illinois USA 2008 on November 18, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in downtown Chicago.  Competing for Miss USA has been a passion of hers, and through dedication, drive and perseverance, she grew in so many ways that finally her dream and goal to be Miss Illinois USA was accomplished.  The 25 year-old Chicago native calls winning the title “a dream ready to take off.”  The 5’10” brunette beauty’s passion to succeed was learned at an early age, and her main focus throughout life is to show through her actions that a good example is better than good advice. 

She is a post graduate student attending DePaul University with a dual Masters in Sociology & Communications and working to pursue her Doctorate in Social and Educational Policy. Shanon says her life ambition and dream is to continue to travel the world pursuing a modeling and dancing career, obtain her Ph.D. in Education & Social Policy, and publish her book, “The Impact of Music in Education.”  She has high aspirations to support abused and neglected children and to enhance and remedy their situations. Shanon wants to be a part of creating a safer environment for children to live, grow, and prosper.

Shanon is also a Professional Model, Dancer, and Certified Public Speaker. She has been featured in national magazines and national advertising campaigns as a print and runway model. She has been dancing since the age of 2 and currently is a Professional NBA dancer for the Chicago Bulls, proudly representing the Chicago Luvabulls, and the Head Coach and Director of the Dance Program for DePaul University. As a Nationally Certified Motivational Speaker for the youth, Shanon provides the Know-How to succeed and stresses the importance of education to grow to their potential. “Successful people have two things in common,” Shanon says, “Desire and Know-How.”  She works to provide the Know-how to succeed and asks them to provoke the desire within.

Over the past year, Shanon has had the opportunity to travel to several different countries such as Japan, Greece, Cyprus, and the Netherlands and will be traveling to Turkey in February 2008 to work as a professional model, dancer, and spokesperson. She describes herself as ambitious, energetic, and caring. To cheer herself up, she likes to dance out her emotions and play the piano.

Throughout her academic career, Shanon has been very active in many aspects of DePaul University and volunteer work. She traveled to the Washington, DC Leadership Summit as DePaul’s Representative. She was a research assistant for the Center For Disease Control and the Chicago Recovery Alliance. She was the Vice President for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Student Government Liberal Arts & Sciences Senator, Golden Key International Honor Society Member, and a sports writer for the University’s Newspaper, The DePaulia.  She also organized the program “Planning for College Success” and was the founder of “March To College Day” where they illustrate what it means and what it takes to go to college by connecting college students and middle school students on a college campus. “Leading by example,” Shanon expresses, “provides a lasting goal for our students, a motivation to continue in school.”

Shanon states her goal is simple: To do something to prepare future generations of all backgrounds; To take an active productive role in tomorrow through education. Throughout her years, she has made the choice to nurture the future, take action toward change, recognize youths' abilities, and encourage them to continue their education and get involved in their own future. 

As the New Miss Illinois USA 2008, Shanon will strive to be the ambassador for organizations, such as Breast Cancer Awareness through the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Charitabulls Organization which raises and distributes millions annually to Chicago's Youth for recreation & social programs, Nothing But Nets Organization that sends nets to Africa to use in the prevention of malaria, Best Buddies, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, March of Dimes, Easter Seals Telethon, Little Heroes Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis, HIV & AIDS Awareness, Chicago Recovery Alliance, American Cancer Society, and other organizations that support our educational system to increase awareness and change. Also throughout her year she will increase awareness of the detrimental affects of youth violence and the importance of higher education. Shanon will continue to speak to students about the opportunities available to them and will use her influence, dedication, and drive to promote change in culture, policy, and community, while inspiring society to care.

Shanon will represent Illinois in the nationally televised Miss USA pageant live on NBC in Las Vegas, Nevada, at Planet Hollywood’s Theater of the Performing Arts on April 11, 2008.