Westborough Officer Ashlyn Mercier Reaches Miss America Final as Women Hold Just 14% of U.S. Police Jobs
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 5
Westborough Officer Ashlyn Mercier Reaches Miss America Final as Women Hold Just 14% of U.S. Police Jobs
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 5
Summary
Sept. 6 brings Westborough police officer Ashlyn Mercier to the Miss America final in West Palm Beach, making the first police officer crowned Miss Massachusetts a contender for the national title.
Mercier says the run is meant to show young girls they can pursue multiple ambitions at once, while spotlighting female officers in a profession where women make up about 14% of the U.S. force.
Nick's Courage — her platform named for her younger brother, a two-time pediatric cancer survivor — aims to bring hope to children facing critical illnesses.
After taking 2025 off from pageants to attend the police academy, Mercier says support from Westborough colleagues and female officers nationwide has reinforced her message that service and pageantry can coexist.
The 105th Miss America competition awards more than $300,000 in scholarships and offers delegates a national platform for community service and advocacy.