A Windham student has been honored as the winner of the 2025 Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant and will compete in Orlando, Florida next July in the USA Ambassador National Pageant.
Rosie Haibon of Windham, 21, won the title during the Crossroads’ Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant in South Portland in July. During her reign, she will volunteer throughout New England to promote the Crossroads platform Crown CARES program, creating a respectful environment in schools and society.
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| Rosie Haibon of Windham has been crowned as the winner of the 2025 Crossroads' Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant and will compete in the USA Ambassador National Pageant in Orlando, Florida next July. PHOTO BY MARY MCQUEEN PHOTOGRAPHY |
Haibon is a junior attending the University of Southern Maine and is studying history education and minoring in dance. She also earned the Silver Presidential Award during this year’s competition, and shared the “Mom and Me” competition award with her mother. She previously held the MASP Teen title and the YAWOS International Teen title and has competed in pageants for 10 years.
Her platform involves Autism Education and Awareness, and she said that she believes mental health is an essential topic of conversation because of how strongly it affects our society and being transparent about her own struggles helps bring the community together.
“What I love most about our system, the Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant, is that we prioritize sisterhood and uplifting other women,” Haibon said. “So often in the media pageants are portrayed as shallow competitions designed to bring other women down, but our system is the opposite of that. I know I can always rely on my fellow sisters for support, no matter what. I like to think I’m so successful because of all the effort I put into myself, and the work put into prepping for my competitions. But I also work to carry a mindset of self-love and that I should be proud of myself no matter the results.”
She graduated from Windham High School in 2021 and was first diagnosed with autism at age 12 as she was getting ready to go into sixth grade. Rather than dwell or despair about her autism diagnosis, Haibon says that she learned to adapt and excel, competing in pageants helping raise money to assist others in the community coping with autism.
Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears in childhood and impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills and cognitive function.
“Knowing that I can personally relate to my cause and who I'm doing it for, it makes me feel good knowing I'm doing something they will love, and it makes me feel happy,” Haibon said.
She attributes her ability to overcome her diagnosis to her participation in pageants.
“I love competing because of the skills it has given me. I feel very lucky to have the skills I do and I wouldn’t be who I am without pageants,” Haibon said. “They’ve given me skills such as public speaking, self-confidence, and other many wonderful qualities I believe that every young adult should be equipped with before stepping into the adult world.”
It is her belief that that anyone can participate in pageants, no matter what your physical or mental state may be.
“Everyone can do well in pageants, and I think it should be something you do once in your life,” Haibon said. “It’s such a blast to do and it gives you a family of sisters like no other. I was crowned as someone with autism. If you had told me when I was little that I would be an international titleholder, I never would have believed you. But here I am today.”
Her advice to young people interested in pageants is simple.
“If anyone is interested in competing, you should do it,” Haibon said. “The biggest piece of advice I can give is to research the pageant systems. There are so many in our state, so finding one that really connects with your values is crucial to finding a system that works for you. The MASP system really aligns with what I want to represent, which is why I’ve stayed with it for so long.”
When she is not preparing for competition, Haibon says she enjoys her classes on the USM campus, dancing with her friends, reading, and spending time with her family. She is the daughter of Mary and Edward Haibon of Windham.
For more information about the Crossroads Youth Center, the local pageants, or other youth programming, visit www.CYCSaco.org <
