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What few may realize as she poses for NBC's "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search" is that beneath the gorgeous locks, contest finalist Shannon Hughes has UTD roots.
The Mesquite native graduated in December 2003 with a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her experiences at UTD, she said, prepared her for the real world.
"(The degree) prepared me to do interviews and to understand the communications aspect of business," Hughes said. "(Kappa Alpha) Theta really helped me learn to work with other people. It helped me learn everyone's different, but you all have to work together and respect everyone."
A professional model, the 5-foot-10-inch brown-haired Hughes said the swimsuit competition-turned reality television show resembled a photo shoot in many ways. But despite all the cameras, Hughes said she did not feel nervous.
"Even if you're scared, if you put your mind to it, you can do almost anything," Hughes said. "And if you have a great photographer, it makes the experience that much easier."
Since filming the show last September, Hughes has appeared on numerous radio talk shows including the Edge and the Ticket, but she really enjoyed her chance to play the sports guru by picking the teams for The Dallas Morning News.
"I was 4-0 on the straight and 3-1 on the line," Hughes said.
Hughes said the show has introduced her to Sports Illustrated supermodels Cheryl Tiegs and Stacy Williams, as well as Petra Nemcova, who would later suffer injuries in the Dec. 26 tsunami.
Back in Dallas, those who knew her say UTD sorely misses her presence.
"She was always beautiful and always kind," said Natalie Hurd Boone, Greek Life advisor. "She was a very organized, nice young lady who had a positive impact on UTD."
As an active member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta (KAT), Hughes was a role model for her sisters remembered fondly more than a year after she left.
"She was very much a leader that the girls looked up to," said KAT president Desiree Sheikholeslami. "She was really involved, very confident and very sophisticated. Yet, she always had her priorities in order."
Sheikholeslami and Boone said Hughes and her father created many of the flyers and booklets for the sorority, some of which are still used today.
Sheikholeslami met Hughes during her freshman year when Hughes, then a junior, was the social chairwoman of the fraternity. Hughes would become the vice president of education in the sorority during her senior year. Yet, Sheikholeslami recalled Hughes would always find ways to organize and balance her time no matter how many commitments she had.
Now that Hughes has graduated from role model to professional model, Sheikholeslami said she has an entire sorority rooting for her to win the competition.
As of Jan. 27, Hughes has advanced to the top three finalists from 12 original contestants.
If she wins, Hughes will appear in February's famed Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and win a million-dollar modeling contract from NEXT Model Management.
"Doing the show was a learning experience," Hughes said. "I knew I would be filmed 24/7, so I looked at it like a job. I kind of had to let go and relax."
Win or lose, Hughes will be remembered at UTD.
"We were lucky to have her," Boone said.
