Most
small communities in Maine don’t have one pageant title holder in any given
year. This year, Windham has three, all eager and ready to serve the community.
Two
of the winners come from Crossroad’s Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant (MASP),
which houses twelve local pageants throughout the state from Van Buren to
Kennebunk, according to pageant director Deb Landry. In the state pageant,
which brings together local winners, Windham High School (WHS) sophomore Celine
Baker was crowned USA National Miss Jr. Teen Maine 2015, and recent WHS
graduate Kelley Wassick was crowned National Miss Teen Maine 2015. Both girls
will go on to the national pageants in their category next summer.
MASP
works with two national organizations, USA National Miss Pageant and National
Teen-Miss-Mrs.-MS. This year, there is a crossover in age categories for teens,
which resulted in both a National Teen Miss Maine and a USA National Teen Miss
Maine. This is the only year the organization will offer both opportunities.
The
responsibilities for both girls are similar. Both represent the organization’s
anti-bullying platform the Crown CARES (creating a respectful environment in
schools). In this role, they will be peer ambassadors, visiting schools
throughout the state to read to children, discuss warning signs and bullying
prevention. They are also both available for community service projects and
personal appearances at events.
Wassick
started doing pageants in the seventh grade, before taking a break to get
involved in athletics. When she was a sophomore in high school, she began
competing again. Although she has competed nationally in the past, it was with
an at-large title, rather than the state title. While winning a scholarship at the
national competition in Williamsburg, Va. next year would be nice, she said
what really matters to her is the experience. “It’s being able to compete on
the national stage, and being able to gain confidence in who I am,” she said.
Wassick
is studying at the University of Southern Maine this fall. She plans to major
in English, and then go on to get a master’s degree in Speech Pathology so she
can work with geriatric stroke patients.
When
not fulfilling her title responsibilities Wassick likes hanging out with family.
“I’m a family girl,” she said. She also works five days a week, and plans to
continue working as much as possible while in school. Community service is her
passion. Wassick has won five awards for community service hours performed,
including an award at Windham High School for completing 856 hours throughout
her four years. “That’s important to me, doing any type of community service I
can get my hands on,” she said. She particularly has enjoyed working with
children in community theatre, she said.
Baker
will represent Maine at the USA National Miss pageant in Orlando, Florida, next
July. In addition to the anti-bullying platform, Baker has a personal platform
“A Full Table.” She partners with nonprofit organizations that deal with
hunger, such as Monday night community meals, Wayside Food Program, Preble
Street Resource Center and others.
Her
first appearance after being crowned was at the Schoolhouse Center for the Arts
theater camp, where she’d been volunteering. She said she needs to do two to
four appearances per month, as well as many community service hours, as part of
her role.
Baker
has been involved in pageants for a year now. In November of 2013, she competed
in the preliminary competition to the state pageant, and won, becoming Miss
Holly High School. In that role, she performed similar responsibilities to her
current role, and prepared for the state competition.
Preparation
is challenging, she said, but worth it. “People have these stereotypes of the
pageant world just being about outer beauty and not focusing on the
intelligence and the talent that all the girls who compete have. I’ve gained a
lot of skills throughout my year of doing pageants and really it’s more about
self confidence and feeling good about yourself, having poise and stage
presence, and the charisma to present yourself in a positive way. It really
reinforces the idea of women empowering themselves to be the best that they can
be,” she said. The skills she has gained, such as interviewing, public
speaking, and resume writing are skills that will help her in the future, she
said.
Baker
is an active member of the WHS community as well. She is in the Windham Chamber
Singers, heavily involved in the arts program, part of the reducing sexism and
violence program, and the book club.
Baker
said that preparing for nationals will teach her a great deal, such as keeping
her life balanced with school and extracurricular activities, managing her
schedule, and being sure she has fun while she’s doing it. “I want it to be
something that I enjoy, and right now it is. I don’t want to become too
overwhelmed and stress out over everything because this is a fantastic
opportunity that not a lot of people get,” she said.
The
third local title holder, Jess Toher, is part of the Mrs. Maine America pageant
for married women. This year, she is serving as Mrs. Windham, and will compete
in the statewide contest for the title of Mrs. Maine next April. The platform
of this pageant is to celebrate marriage and the achievements of married women,
she said.
When
she was first approached about participating, she was not interested. But when
she began to look into what it was really all about, it was exactly what she had
been wanting to do for years, said Toher. “What I really wanted to accomplish
going through the process is really just giving back to my community. I think
that far too often, it’s easier to make up excuses not to do something than to
do it. This is really my motivator,” she said.
Toher
is the busy mother of a 5-year-old son and three month old daughter. She is
also a full time student, studying criminal justice at Central Maine Community
College. She is a full time employee of the Oxford Casino, and owns a very
small company, New England Special Occasion Consultants, where she helps people
create very special moments to remember.
Being
Mrs. Windham gives her the motivation to get out there and help people, she said.
She wants to reach out and let people know that no event is too large or too
small. She is willing to help with any kind of service, fundraising, or event
in the Windham area.
Some
of the things Toher has worked on to date include the Windham Backpack program
and participating in a community block party. She said she really enjoys
working with the elderly population as well.
Toher
has been involved in theater and commercials since she was five, but never
before tried pageants. The Mrs. Maine pageant is nothing like what the
stereotypical image is, she said. “It’s really about going out there and trying
to achieve helping others. That’s what interests me.”
The
MASP has the goal of raising awareness of social issues, as well as fostering
young women to be volunteers in their community, said Landry. “We are offering
a platform for these young ladies to grow into strong, civic minded women,” she
said. The national pageant goals are similar - to promote positive pageantry
through volunteerism, respect, honor and integrity. The MASP is a 501c3 pageant,
and 100 percent of net proceeds are donated back to Maine schools for research
based bullying prevention books, curriculum and free school appearances.
All
three title holders are available for appearances and service. They can be
contacted via email at the following addresses: Celine Baker: cybaker99@gmail.com
; Kelley Wassick: Kelley.wassick@maine.edu; and Jess Toher at
jess4meyer@gmail.com.
