If you happen to be speeding in the town of Westborough, the officer who pulls you over and gives you a ticket just might be Miss Massachusetts. Ashlyn Mercier, a Worcester resident and Westborough police officer captured the coveted title on June 20 at the Hanover Theatre.
Competing against 22 other very accomplished and talented women, Mercier takes the stage at the Miss America competition in West Palm Beach, FL, in September. Mercier earned her Bachelor of Science in National Security with a concentration in intelligence analysis at the University of New Haven, then received her Master’s Degree in Science in criminal justice with a concentration in cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity from Boston University.
This was not Mercier’s first time vying for a state title. She competed in the Miss Connecticut program twice while a student at the University of New Haven, and Miss Massachusetts three times, most recently finishing as 4th runner-up in 2024. Resilience and determination qualify her journey to the crown and juggling that while pursuing her career in law enforcement has been a challenging but rewarding experience. As the now former Miss Bay State ascended through the competitions levels—first making the top 10, then top 5—she was holding hands with eventual first runner-up Miss Boston Faith O’Hanlon when the final announcement was made.
“We both kept looking at each other and saying, ‘You’re going to be amazing. No, you’re going to be amazing.’ Faith is an incredible person and she is going to be a great Miss Massachusetts someday. I’m just so at peace with everything that I had done, so I knew, no matter the outcome, that I was happy with everything I put on stage this day,” she said. “During the opening number, I was the most nervous, and waiting for the top 10 announcement. Once I made the top 10, I was just kind of cruising through the night, doing what I had prepared for the last couple of months. After every phase, I felt so at peace and so content with how everything was going. I was in a place where I felt like if it was meant to be, it was going to happen.”
After graduating early from UNH in 2022, Mercier returned home to Massachusetts, and soon began her law enforcement career. She won the title of Miss Collegiate Area in 2023, and the title of Miss Cranberry Country on her way to being 3rd runner-up at the Miss Massachusetts competition in 2024.
Shortly after that, an opportunity to join the Westborough PD, and the academy began in September of that year. She completed her field training and started her job, eschewing pageant pursuit for a year, because there was no road map for being both a police officer and carrying a pageant title.
“That year had been a year of growth for me—of finding my love for the job of policing and finding myself. I thought I was done with the Miss America Organization – the main reason being I didn’t know if it could be done, because it had never been done before. I realized I was limiting myself because of what other people may be thinking, but I just felt called to come back and to compete, and I felt like there was a job to be finished and I wanted to give myself one more chance,” she said. “I went all-in on wardrobe and talent and just put all of myself into this competition, and I am so happy and so grateful that I got to walk away being Miss Massachusetts 2026.”
Navigating the balance between her two roles, she admits, may have some challenges, but so far her department has been supportive, and there are similarities between the two vocations.
“It will be a challenge, for sure, but I’m definitely up for it,” she said. “I think there are a lot of parallels between policing and pageantry – the ability to perform and thrive under pressure, having confidence and command presence as you’re talking to people, communication skills, public speaking – these are all tasks I do in my job and in my role as Miss Massachusetts. I think the two are going to feed into and off of each other and is going to make me better at both.”
She admits that she didn’t know how the other officers would react, but so far they have been very supportive, congratulatory and have fun with it.
“I’ve been explaining the Miss America Opportunity to them, teaching the, and explaining what I do, and they’ve been so incredibly supportive – more than I could have ever imagined,” she said.
In her year of service, she hopes to have a meaningful impact across the state.
“I want to further the Miss Massachusetts organization by brining on more sponsors, and really supporting my sisters – the other 22 incredible women who were on the stage with me,” she said, adding that her Community Services Initiative: Nick’s Courage – One Smile Goes A Mile, which was created because of her brother’s battles as a two-time pediatric cancer survivor.
“My mission with that is to bring positivity and hope into the lives of children who are battling critical illnesses, and I hope I can continue to work with some incredible organizations – Why Me and Sherry’s House, the Make-A-Wish organization – and I’m hoping to partner with child life services in the various children’s hospitals across the state and really continue to grow my work with Nick’s Courage.”
Just hours after her crowning, Mercier said it hasn’t sunk in yet that she’ll be on the Miss America stage in less than three months, but she’ll be focused on soaking in every opportunity to help her prepare.
“I’m feeling incredible, the amount of support from my family, friends and co-workers have shown me is incredible and I’m just over the moon right now.
On June 18, 17-year-old Lyahnette Morales was crowned Miss Massachusetts’ Teen. She has taken part in the Miss Massachusetts Mayflower Princess mentoring program in 2016, and saw the opportunity to return to the pageant stage shortly before winning the Miss Boston’s Teen title in February. Morales said she’s excited to get to know her new “big sister.”
“I didn’t really get to know Ashlyn, as this is my first year competing in this pageant system, but I’m so excited. I’ve heard great things. She’s a great speaker and I was watching during the whole competition and I’m just really happy to share this experience with her.”
Morales will compete in the Miss America’s Teen competition, which takes place concurrently with Miss America in September. She said she’s still amazed at her long-but-short rise to the state crown.
“I technically started this journey ten years ago – just watching, learning about the sister and the Miss America Opportunity. It just goes to show that when you are nurtured from a young age in this organization, it sets real dreams and goals for you, and a goal of my entire life at this point was to become Miss Massachusetts’ Teen. I’m so fortunate to be able to do that my first actual year of competing. It’s almost surreal.” Even two days after her crowning, she said the feeling is still a surreal whirlwind.
“It still hasn’t hit me just yet,” she said. “I’m still in my honeymoon phase right now. I’m super excited. I feel like a kid in a candy store, kind of.” Morales said she is very much excited about her upcoming trip to the national competition and meeting the other state representatives.
“I’m just really excited to share this opportunity and have an even wider sisterhood than I’ve even imagined. It’s going to be like a slumber party each day.
Like Mercier, before that final announcement on Thursday, as she was standing with Miss Taunton’s Teen Serena DaRosa as the last two competitors, she felt that gratitude.
“I love Serena,” she continued. “I kept telling her ‘You’re so amazing’ and she was telling me ‘No, you’re so amazing, so we decided we are ‘amazing squared’ together.
“We were laughing and having a good time. We were making it about how happy we would be for each other, and there was no animosity toward the other person. That’s what’s amazing to see in an organization like this. You’re just happy to be there and have that opportunity, and you’re happy for that other person no matter what.”
Steve Smith, a veteran reporter with 17 years at The Hartford Courant, now brings his passion for photojournalism to Worcester. An award-winning photographer, he has covered major events like U.S. soccer, pro football, and UConn basketball. He is also the official photographer for the Miss Massachusetts competition and works as a realtor. Contact him at steve@stevephotographysmith.com
