Newly crowned Miss Maine USA and Miss Maine Teen USA are from the Bangor area

by Kathleen O'Brien, March 23, 2022

Miss Maine USA 2022 Elizabeth Kervin (left) and Miss Maine Teen USA Madisson Higgins (right) pose for a photo together in Bangor on Tuesday. Credit: Sawyer Loftus / BDN

The newly crowned Miss Maine USA and Miss Maine Teen USA are from the Bangor area.

Elizabeth Kervin of Winterport was crowned Miss Maine USA and Madisson Higgins of Bangor was named Miss Maine Teen USA in South Portland on Saturday. Kervin was one of 25 contestants for the title, and Higgins competed against 15 contestants.

Kervin, 19, also competed for the Miss Maine USA title last year, and finished the event in the top 10. She was also awarded second runner-up for Miss Maine Teen USA in 2019.

“This has been a personal goal for so long and something I’ve worked almost three years towards,” Kervin said. “To have this finally happen is a dream come true.”

Miss Maine USA 2022 Elizabeth Kervin. Credit: Sawyer Loftus / BDN

Kervin is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Husson University in Bangor. She said she’d like to attend medical school to become a trauma surgeon. Her parents inspired her career path, she said, as her mother is a registered nurse and her father was an Army combat medic.

As Miss Maine USA, Kervin said she’d like to organize a community first aid training.

“My parents were in a motorcycle accident almost 10 years ago that nearly ended their lives,” Kervin said. “I’ve seen three motorcycle accidents since then. I want to make sure anyone who wants to have those resources to help in an emergency is able to get that basic knowledge.”

Kervin plans to make assisting Maine’s veteran population the main focus of her charitable work as Miss Maine USA.

“My dad was in the Army for 23 years and I saw a tremendous lack of resources available for them, and even the ones that were available, there wasn’t advertising for those so people didn’t know they were out there,” Kervin said. “These people have been so selfless to fight for our freedom, so I want to make sure we’re treating them properly.”

Madisson Higgins of Bangor is the newly crowned Miss Maine Teen USA. Credit: Sawyer Loftus / BDN

Higgins, 16, began competing in pageants last year when she entered the Miss Maine Teen USA competition and won first runner-up. Higgins said she’d also like to compete for the Miss Maine USA title after she turns 18.

A sophomore at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, Higgins said she’d like to become a nurse anesthetist, a career choice inspired by her parents.

“My dad has inspired me through being a first responder, and my mother inspired me to go into a male-dominated field,” said Higgins, whose father is Bangor Fire Chief Thomas Higgins.

Higgins said she plans to focus her charitable work as Miss Maine Teen USA on supporting first responders. She also said she plans to make appearances with Kervin to inspire younger people.

Kervin and Higgins will move on to compete for Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, respectively, later this year. Both competitions are overseen by the Miss USA Organization.

“After many years of working in the pageant industry, I feel confident that both young women will be wonderful representatives of the state of Maine,” said Laurie Clemente, Miss USA state director for Maine.