Westborough police officer Ashlyn Mercier competes in Miss America as Massachusetts' first law enforcement titleholder
Female officers make up approximately 14 percent of law enforcement across the United States, a figure Ashlyn Mercier cited when explaining why she chose to compete in Miss America alongside her work as a Westborough,…
Key takeaways
- Westborough, Massachusetts police officer Ashlyn Mercier is the first officer ever named Miss Massachusetts and competes in the Miss America final on September 6 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
- Mercier took a year off from pageant competition in 2025 to attend the police academy, following her father into law enforcement.
- Her Miss America cause is "Nick's Courage: One Smile Goes a Mile," named for her younger brother Nicholas, a two-time pediatric cancer survivor, to bring hope to children with critical illnesses.
- Mercier cited that female officers make up about 14 percent of US law enforcement as part of her reason for competing and wanting to show young girls they can pursue policing and more.
- The Westborough Police Department has fully backed her, with colleagues attending sendoff events and contributing to her fundraising.
Female officers make up approximately 14 percent of law enforcement across the United States, a figure Ashlyn Mercier cited when explaining why she chose to compete in Miss America alongside her work as a Westborough, Massachusetts police officer. Mercier, the first officer ever named Miss Massachusetts, takes the stage at the Miss America final on September 6 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
She took a year away from pageant competition in 2025 to attend the police academy, following her father into law enforcement. She told Fox News Digital she was uncertain at the time whether she would return, worried about others' reactions to someone pursuing both paths. "I've got to focus on myself," she said. "And it ended up working out for me." The Westborough Police Department has backed her without reservation, with colleagues showing up to sendoff events and contributing to her fundraising.
Service and platform
Her cause at Miss America is "Nick's Courage: One Smile Goes a Mile," named for her younger brother Nicholas, a two-time pediatric cancer survivor. The initiative aims to bring positivity and hope to children battling critical illnesses. Mercier said she wants to show young girls they can pursue law enforcement and hold ambitions well beyond it at the same time.
Police work has translated into practical assets on the pageant circuit. She is comfortable communicating with a range of people and staying composed under pressure. Less transferable: the preparation time. Getting ready for a shift takes about two minutes, she told Fox News Digital. Pageant prep takes considerably longer.
Mercier is one of the delegates representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The Miss America organization traces to a 1921 beauty contest in Atlantic City, New Jersey, held the year after the 19th Amendment took effect. It awards scholarships and gives its titleholder a national platform for community service and advocacy. This year's competition marks 105 years of the pageant.
Thousands of female law enforcement officers have commented on her posts expressing support, Mercier said, and young women have told her the story is drawing them toward policing. The final is September 6 in West Palm Beach.
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