Miss New Hampshire, Miss New Hampshire Teen crowned on Saturday

From left, Megan Plaza, 15, Miss New Hampshire's Teen; and Xanthi Russell, 23, Miss New Hampshire (Courtesy photos)

DERRY - Two lucky young women achieved their dreams of being crowned Miss New Hampshire and Miss New Hampshire's Teen at the state competitions held over the weekend at Pinkerton Academy's Stockbridge Theatre in Derry

Xanthi Russell, 23, was crowned Miss New Hampshire 2025, competing against 23 other young women ages 18 - 27 from across the Granite State for the coveted title. Russell was awarded a $15,000 scholarship and starts her year of service during which she will promote leadership development among young people through participation in the Miss America Opportunity and the 4-H program. She performed a tap dance during the talent portion of the competition and entered the competition holding the local title of Miss Lilac State.

A member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, she will graduate from the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord this month with an associate's degree in Paralegal Studies. Since her start in the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program, she has earned $61,000 in scholarships to further her education.

Megan Plaza, 15, was crowned Miss New Hampshire's Teen 2025, competing against 23 other young women ages 14 - 18 from across the Granite State. She was awarded a $5,000 scholarship and starts her year of service during which she will continue to provide support to foster children and families through the nonprofit organization she founded called The Suitcase Project. She performed a vocal performance during the talent portion of the competition and entered the competition holding the local title of Miss Capital Area's Teen. She is a sophomore at Londonderry High School where she is a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, and the Lancer Marching Band. Since her start in the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program, she has earned $13,600 in scholarships to further her education.

As new state titleholders, both young women will go on to compete at the national Miss America and Miss America's Teen competitions later this year.

"We are extremely proud of both of these exceptional young women," said David Appleby, President and Co-Executive Director of the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program. "These young women are smart, talented, and they provide inspiring volunteer service to their communities. We look forward to supporting them as they complete their year of service and go on to represent New Hampshire at the national competition."

The Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program awarded nearly $90,000 in cash scholarships to young women at the state competitions held this past week. These young women exemplify "Style, Service, Scholarship and Success", which represent the "four points" of the Miss America crown. The young women who compete in the program contribute many hours of community service and raise funds for philanthropic partners that work to address important causes each young woman cares about.

About the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program

The Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(4) non-profit organization and an official state program of the Miss America Organization. Scholarships are administered by the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Foundation, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The mission of the program is to empower young women through scholarship competitions and to provide community service and leadership opportunities while fostering life-long friendships through the Miss America Organization. For more information about the program, to host Miss New Hampshire or Miss New Hampshire's Teen at a local event, or to donate to the scholarship foundation, please visit missnh.org.