Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant to be held in June

    Are you a woman who needs scholarship money, values excellence, enjoys a challenge, and/or wants to grow personally and professionally? Then the Miss Maine Scholarship Program is for you! Registrations are now being accepted for the 75th annual Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant scheduled for June 18 at the Crooker Theater at Brunswick High School. The Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant is the official state preliminary to the Miss America Pageant, the largest source of scholarships for women in the world.
    All participating contestants in Miss Maine will receive scholarship assistance, while Miss Maine receives more than $75,000 in cash and in-kind scholarships and prizes.  Students may use their scholarships for 2-year or 4-year universities or colleges as well as post-graduate or graduate school.  Scholarships go directly to the student’s college or university.
    “Since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of representing my home state of Maine on the Miss America stage,” said Arikka Knights, 24 of Chester, who won Miss Maine this past June. “But participation in the Miss Maine Scholarship Program has given me so much more.  I have been awarded scholarship money to pay for student loans, have gained public speaking and interview skills which are valuable as I continue to pursue my career aspirations, and have made many incredible friendships and memories which will last a lifetime.  I have truly grown as an individual through my experience with this organization.”
    “I often equate participation in the Miss Maine Scholarship Program with a college course.  It provides the development of lifelong skills not found in any classroom,” said Gene Gagne, president and co-executive director.
    Potential contestants must be a United States citizen, must be between the ages of 17-24 and must be a high school graduate no later than six months after the date of the competition.  She must be at least a six-month resident of Maine, must attend a Maine university or college, or must work full-time in Maine.  The maximum age to participate in the pageant is no more than 24 years old on Dec. 31, 2011.
    Contestants will compete in a 90-second talent competition worth 35 percent of the overall score.  Contestants also compete in Interview (25 percent), Evening Wear (20 percent), Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit (15 percent), and On-stage Question (5 percent).
    To obtain a registration form and for additional information about Miss Maine 2011, contact Audrey Findlen at afindlen@maine.rr.com or the Miss Maine website, www.missmaine.org.