PORTLAND, Maine — Every year, a new Miss Maine USA is crowned. This year's winner is someone you might be familiar with: NEWS CENTER Maine reporter, Anne Baldridge.
She started her journey in Maine as a reporter in 2022 but she grew up in Kentucky. She told us she loves ballet, playing golf, and making memories with her grandmother. Anne said she never thought about competing in a pageant until she was in college, but her love for the competition goes back to her childhood.
"Growing up, my family and I watched Miss USA every year. In my household, like it was a national holiday," Baldridge said. "My dad is a huge pageant dad even before I got involved in pageants, he loved them. Every single year for Miss USA when we'd watch he'd guess the top five and he'd guess the winner. I guess I grew up, loving pageants, kind of from him."
Anne competed for the title of Miss Kentucky USA a couple of times in college and placed, but her focus quickly shifted to her career and reporting.
She said this year she had a gut feeling it was time to run again. This time, for Miss Maine USA.
"I just kept reminding myself that at the end of the day, I'm not competing with the other girls here, I'm just competing with myself," Baldridge said.
Anne was crowned Miss Maine USA earlier this month. She said she is focused on her prep work for Miss USA but she is just as excited for her year ahead. Her plan is to team up with Child Developmental Services and spread awareness around speech impediments. It's something Anne has her own history with.
"I was never the kid to raise their hand in class to answer out loud or to read a story. I was very, very quiet, very shy," Baldridge said. "I had a hard time making friends growing up because I was afraid if I did speak out loud, I wouldn't be able to control what was going to come out."
"Which is ironic because now I do speak for a living as a news reporter so throughout this year, I really want to be able to tell this message to a wider audience," Baldridge continued. "Whatever you set your mind to you can achieve which sounds cliché, but for me, I really want to be able to instill a growth mindset into women of all ages that you can transform that weakness into a winning mindset."
You can watch Anne compete for Miss USA this summer.
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