Bryant grew up in Berea near Greenville , South Carolina , the daughter of dance teacher Karen C. Bryant . She attended Travelers Rest High School and Converse College , where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree . She was Miss South Carolina in 1989 , and at the Miss America 1990 pageant she won talent scholarships . She then studied at Manhattan School of Music , where she earned a Master 's Degree in vocal performance in 1992 and studied with Mignon Dunn . Bryant also studied voice at Greenville 's The Fine Arts Center and the South Carolina Governor 's School of the Arts . She studied dance at Broadway Dance Center and acting with Terry Schreiber at the T. Schreiber Studio in New York City . Bryant was a regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions winner ( 1998 )
Miss America 1990
Miss America 1990
Kimilee Bryant