About Megan Beals - 2005

Megan Beals of Houlton is Miss Maine 2005. She competed with 10 other young women from around the state during the 69th Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant in Brunswick, Maine on June 4, 2005. Megan is 21 years old and a recent graduate of Northern Maine Community College with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. She plans to continue her education and receive a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Megan's platform is entitled, Mentoring to Empower Tomorrow's Leaders.

My journey began eight years ago at a summer camp, where I first discovered my role as a mentor. Since then I have been dedicated to fostering self-esteem development in children and young people, while striving to enrich their opportunities within the community and encouraging them to dare to dream. In my endeavors to see this happen, I am the co-founder of Harmony Self-esteem Camp, a camp that provides elementary students in several communities, the opportunity to become educated on self-esteem development, conflict, literacy, cultural diversity, and bullying.

I am committed to making a genuine difference in young people's lives and look at my role as an activist as an opportunity to educate individuals on the importance of mentoring. As the spokesperson for the Central Aroostook Mentoring Program (CAMP), I have had many opportunities to increase awareness in as many venues as possible, including television commercials, radio talk show, and speaking engagements. After learning of CAMP's severe financial loss, in April of 2004, I became an advocate on a new level and worked with my legislator to increase funding to mentoring programs statewide. After several months of meeting and discussion, we submitted LD 979, An Act to Fund Youth Mentoring Programs. After lobbying at the capitol, March 31, 2005, the bill will ensure that all mentoring programs statewide will receive assistance based upon financial need. LD 979 has successfully made it through the Maine State Legislature and is now on the special Appropriation's Table.

Megan also developed a fundraiser, The Mystery Tour, to aid in CAMP's financial loss and is a mentor for their program. She also teaches "For Such a Time as This" mentoring group for young ladies in Jr./Sr. High, and facilitated an after school mentoring program for children, and aided Hodgdon High School's Advocacy Mentoring Program.

As Miss Maine, Megan has officially partnered with the Maine Mentoring Partnership. This will provide windows of opportunity to educate, empower, and expand mentoring programs statewide. She will also promote RJ Reynold's Right Decisions Right Now, by speaking to middle schools throughout the state.

Megan's accomplishments include being a member of the All-Maine Academic Team, member of Phi Theta Kappa, and a recipient of NMCC's Foundation Board of Director's Scholarship. Megan has also performed with Christian Music Artist, Brian McSee, and opened for nationally known, inspirational speaker, Patti Foster.

Megan's parents are Terry and Debbie Beals of Houlton. She has two older sisters, Alissa, 28, and Dawn, 25. She has a brother Patrick, 19.

Photos of Megan Beals

Mentoring to Empower Tomorrow's Leaders

Megan's Story: These Boots Were Made For Walkin' (PDF)

Megan's Favorite Links:

http://www.mentoring.org/ - National Mentoring Partnership: Featured Megan and her mentee, Kenedy, in October.

http://www.mainementoring.org/ - Maine Mentoring Partnership.

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