Shawnae Jebbia
Shawnae Nicole Jebbia is an American entertainer and beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss USA 1998.
Jebbia won the Miss Massachusetts USA title in 1997, in her first attempt at a pageant title. She went on to represent Massachusetts in the Miss USA 1998 pageant, becoming that state's first Miss USA winner. Whilst Jebbia had little prior experience, her first runner-up Shauna Gambill had previously held the Miss Teen USA 1994 title. Jebbia's "sister" titleholder, Miss Massachusetts Teen USA 1998 Susie Castillo, went on to hold the Miss Massachusetts USA title and became Massachusetts' second Miss USA titleholder in 2003.
Jebbia then competed at the Miss Universe 1998 pageant later that year. High scores in evening gown and in the swimsuit competition advanced her to the final 5 but after the interview round she did not make the final 3 finalists. The winner was Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago, with whom Jebbia lived and made appearances during her reign.
Jebbia grew up in Sonoma County, California and lived in Sebastopol, California for six years. She received a degree in Communications from Jacksonville University and graduated cum laude on an athletic scholarship. She has appeared on television and film, including being a "Barker Beauty" on The Price Is Right from 2002 until 2003 and a stint on the ESPN2 exercise program Co-ed Training prior to winning Miss USA. After experiencing a hearing impairment caused by Ménière's disease, Jebbia moved out of the entertainment industry and is currently studying towards a master's degree in nursing. She has acted as the spokesperson for the Siemens Pure 700 hearing aid.
