Scanlan won over the seven judges after strutting down the stage in a black bikini and playing "White Water Chopped Sticks" at the piano.
The blond teen told the Associated Press she plans to register to vote when she turns 18 next month and will defer her enrollment at Virginia's Patrick Henry College to complete her reign.
She then plans to go to law school and eventually become a politician and "stand up for what's right, stand up for integrity and honesty.
"At this point, attorneys and politicians are looked down on and have terrible reputations for being greedy and power hungry and I really think it's important for people who have their heart and mind in the right place get into those powerful positions," she told the AP.
