Sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln were entertained by a performance from Miss America 2011, May 7 to 9, during a visit to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.

This was Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan’s first visit to a deployed U.S. naval ship, although she has participated in a number of events sponsored by the United Services Organization (USO) since winning the crown.

Scanlan shared: “When I first walked on the ship, I was shocked and amazed at how big it was… I got to see some really cool things while on board, like going on the flight deck while flight operations were going on.”

Scanlan performed for thousands of Sailors aboard the USS Lincoln. She also signed autographs, posed for photographs, ate lunch with the crew members, and learned about the various jobs that Sailors perform while on board.

Miss America also accompanied the ship’s band during a concert in the hangar bay, where they played various cover songs; this included a song on the piano that she performed during the Miss America pageant.

Scanlan expressed appreciation for the Sailors’ service to and sacrifices for their country: “It may sound cliché, and I can’t say it enough, but there are no words to express my gratitude… There’s no way I can ever say ‘thank you’ enough. Our whole country-every American is saying ‘thank you.’”

Scanlan also revealed that military service is among the paths that she has considered taking in the future. She is set to start college in August, and is considering joining the Navy to practice military law as a judge advocate general before practicing civil law.