February 2007:
Number 514
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A newsletter for the students, faculty and staff of the Collin County Community College District. Published monthly. For information or submissions, call 972.599.3142. Cougar News welcomes student and faculty submissions. Next deadline: Feb. 10 All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on the due date. Photos cannot be returned. Text should be emailed to mrobinson@ccccd.edu or sent on disk. Please submit copy that is proofed, edited and saved in Word format. Cougar News staff: Lisa Vasquez, director; Mark Robinson, editor; Marcy Cadena-Smith, contributor; Sydney Portilla-Diggs, student correspondent; Stephanie Hall, student correspondent; Sheri Mackey, contributor; Nick Young, photography and layout
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Former student named first runner-up for Miss America
Shilah Phillips made Collin proud Jan. 29.
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| Shilah Phillips, Miss Texas 2006, was named first runner-up at the Miss America pageant Jan. 29. | The Frisco resident and former Collin music student was first runner-up in the Miss America pageant. Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson took the title.
The 24-year-old Phillips received a $25,000 scholarship. And if Nelson is not able to fulfill her duties as Miss America, Philips will step in. This year’s pageant included several new gimmicks, including fan voting. Phillips proved to be the fan favorite during the talent portion of the show.
Phillips was a student at Collin since the spring 2004 and a member of Expressions vocal jazz ensemble for three years and Jaztet One. She transferred to the University of North Texas in the fall to major in music. She was the first African American Miss Texas. Phillips was named Miss Frisco in January 2005 and had competed on the hit reality TV show, American Idol.
Her Miss Texas includes a $13,000 scholarship, and Phillips will be in a reality TV series on CMT titled Finding Miss America leading up to the Miss America pageant. Phillips lived in California for a number of years, recording demos trying to make it in the music industry. It was during this time that Phillips auditioned for American Idol.
According to a Houston Chronicle story, she had quit college to pursue her singing dream, but she found out that education was a good start. “After being in Los Angeles, I realized it was really important to finish my education,” she told the Houston Chronicle after the Miss Texas pageant.
At Collin, Phillips studied pop and classical voice with professors Kathy Morgan, David Alexander and jazz voice with associate professor Sue Cruse.
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