Miss Massachusetts' Teen – New England Pageant News

Maggie Leighton turned 17 on June 16, and got the best give she ever received when she was crowned Miss Massachusetts’ Teen, at the competition held in Fall River.

“Best birthday present ever,” she said. “I did not expect this.”

The Leominster High School student said she really enjoyed the competition and the other 15 contestants. Her day also started out a little frazzled.

Maggie Leighton stays #missamericafit by being a standout on the Leominster High School volleyball team. Photo by Steve Smith.

“I woke up really early this morning, to do my hair and makeup, and I came in my interview dress because I thought I was having my interview really early,” she said. “But it turned out I didn’t have it until 1:30 so I had to change back into my comfy clothes. I was really nervous.”

Leighton described the moment of anticipation when she and eventual first runner-up Laila Hosnander (Miss Worcester County’s Teen) were holding hands and awaiting the final announcement.

“She was the best person to be out there with me,” she said. “We sat right next to each other [in the dressing room] and she was so supportive and so nice. She’s amazing.”

Leighton had competed twice in the Miss Massachusetts Teen USA competition before winning the Miss Cranberry Country’s Teen competition on April 7. In 2023, she placed as 4th runner-up at the USA competition, and in March of this year, was 3rd runner-up.

The Miss Massachusetts top 5 – (l-r) 3rd runner-up Faith O’Hanlon, 1st runner-up Laila Hosnander, Miss Massachusetts’ Teen 2024 Maggie Leighton, 2nd runner-up Marianna McCallum, and 4th runner-up Na’Shajia Montiero. Photo by Steve Smith.

During the competition, she said she was confident, but also second-guessing herself a little.

“I was texting my parents during intermission, saying I don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said, adding that her nerves were on edge when the top 5 was announced, and she was the last one called.

“That’s kind of scary,” she said. “It was weird, but a ‘whew’ moment.”

Leighton will be competing for the title of Miss America’s Teen in January 2025.

“It’s insanely exciting,” she said. “I’m pretty new to this organization, so I’m excited to be a titleholder for this state, and fulfill all of this duty.”

Leighton’s Community Service Initiative is Play On! Ensuring Access to Music Education.

“I’m such a big supporter of music organizations and education groups,” she said. “I feel like, as Miss Massachusetts’ Teen, I can do a lot more things around the Commonwealth. I would really like to plan more fundraisers and raise more awareness.”

Miss Cranberry Country’s Teen Maggie Leighton belts out Bon Jovi’s “Living On A Prayer” on her way to being crowned Miss Massachusetts’ Teen 2024. Photo by Steve Smith.

Leighton gave a vocal performance of “Living On A Prayer.”

Her new title may cement her competition plans for the future, beyond 2025, as she said she’s liking the Miss America Organization quite a bit at the moment.

“I’m definitely biased now, but I love the talent portion,” she said. “I’ve done music for so long, it was kind of natural for me.”

For more information, visit www.mmaoteen.org.

Outlasting a field of 19 other extremely accomplished young ladies, Emma Gibney was crowned Miss Massachusetts’ Teen 2023 at BMC Durfee High School in Fall River on May 7.

Gibney was the first to hold the title of Miss Blackstone Valley’s Teen, which she won at the Miss Worcester County Competition on Feb. 18. She previously was the first to hold the title of Miss Worcester County’s Outstanding Teen 2022 (The Miss America organization dropped the “outstanding” from its teen titles earlier this year).

Calling the competition an “up and down” day, Gibney said she didn’t feel good about her private interview with the judges, but, apparently the judges disagreed, as they selected her via the final ballot, after she placed in the top five.

The daughter of Tim and Nicole Gibney, Emma is a 17-year-old junior at New Bedford High School, and a standout varsity tennis player.

When the last two standing were Gibney and Na’Shajia Montiero, the eventual winner said she still wasn’t thinking she would get the crown.

“I told her that I loved her. I told her that she would be a great Miss Massachusetts’ Teen, because, honestly, I didn’t think it was going to be me,” Gibney said. “I think every girl who was out here deserves the crown and deserves to be in that position. To be able to realize that it was me…it really hasn’t sunk in yet, but when it does, it’s going to be a great year, and I’m super-excited for it.”

When the final announcement was made, Gibney said she experienced several emotions.

“I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, it was a lot of mixed emotions all at once,” she said. “I fell to the ground and I really didn’t think it was me. I thought they mixed up the cards, like a Steve Harvey moment, but it wasn’t, and I’m so happy to be here.”

Gibney plans to continue to work with her Community Service Initiative, S.T.A.Y – Start The Awareness Young, suicide prevention, which was inspired by the loss of her cousin, Tyler, to suicide in 2018. Her goal is to not only bring awareness to young people’s mental health issues, but to talk to legislators and advocate for more funding for the state’s suicide hotline, and she may now have the chance to bring that impact to a national level.

“I’m going to really bring that to the stage at Miss America’s Teen,” she said.

For her talent performance, Gibney dramatically performed an original spoken-word piece, titled “Stay,” that echoes her CSI while taking viewers on a journey of someone giving a loved one reasons to avoid taking their own life.

Gibney thanked her local program, including the support she’s received from her sister titleholders, Miss Worcester County Gabrielle Griffiths, Miss Blackstone Valley Natalie Erhensbeck and Miss Worcester County’s Teen Kayla O’Hara, as well as her family and good friends, many of whom were in the audience as she was crowned.

“They come to every single competition, and deal with my crying and my laughter and everything afterwards,” she said. “They’re really my backbone, and why I continue to compete and I why I’ve done well. Even this title here today is because of my local director [who happened to be this reporter], my local board, and all of my family and friends.”

When asked when it will sink in that she’ll compete for the national title, Gibney said, “probably in like a week.”

“I think it’s going to take a little bit for me to get used to,” she said.

For more information, visit http://www.missmass.org or http://www.mmaoteen.org.