Above: A Southborough teen just got big news that she asked me to share with readers. (contributed photo)
Southborough is the hometown of a finalist in the in the Miss Massachusetts Teen USA pageant*. As she seeks the state title, in hopes of pursuing the national title, Maggie Mercadante, asked me to help her reach out for support.
17 year old Mercadente is a lifelong Southborough resident. She applied to compete in the competition, using the title “Miss Southborough”. This is her first time competing in a pageant.
She writes:
The pageant system is one of the premier state pageants in the United States and I am proud to have been selected from among the hundreds of applicants that were processed.
The pageant will be held March 8th – 10th at the Burlington Marriot. (Tickets will go on sale at the end of this month.)
Competition organizers are still in the process of narrowing down the contestant pool to the finalists, so they couldn’t yet say how many teens Mercadante will be up against. (The first round is based on submitted applications.)
Contestants are encouraged by the pageant to solicit sponsors for their efforts who will be advertised in the program book. As part of that effort, Mercadente is reaching out to our community. She would also love for supporters to be in the audience to help cheer her on.
She shared that some of her past accomplishments include being president of her youth group, and modeling for exhibits at Arts Worcester and the Cambridge Art Association.
She is also trained in acting and voice, and spends about 6 hours per week training in dance. Most of her training has been through The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory in Worcester.
There is no talent competition in the pageant. But the experience may help her maintain confidence and poise in the competition. And she can speak about her interests during the question round.
Mercadente is currently in her senior year of home schooling. (She attends the Macomber Center in Framingham three days per week, but describes that as more of the social aspect than her academic time.)
Looking to the future, she has big plans, starting with making the most of a planned “gap year”:
During that time I plan on continuing my theater education along with studying to be an EMT at MassBay Community College. Once I complete the course I hope to work while I get my bachelors in musical theater, I wish to continue in that field for as long as possible and then make my way back to medical school to be a psychiatrist.
*The Miss Teen USA pageant is the competition for 14-18 year olds under the Miss USA & Miss Universe pageant competitions.
(For anyone wondering about the organization’s affiliation with former President Donald Trump, although he was co-owner for nine years, in 2015 he bought full rights and sold it.)
Updated (2/8/24 12:27 pm): For those looking to follow her journey or support it:
