WILTON — New Miss Teen Wilton International 2018 Valerianne Hinkley will compete in the Miss Teen Maine International 2018 on Sunday, April 22, at Crooker Theater in Brunswick.

She is the daughter of Jennie and Brian Young and Scott Hinkley of Wilton, granddaughter of Raymond Bouchard Sr. of Auburn, Debbie Hinkley of Wilton and Roxanne Grant of Farmington and the great-granddaughter of Mabel Heath of New Vineyard.

Each delegate will complete in athleisure wear, evening gown, fun fashion and personal interview. The winner will represent Maine in July when she will compete for the title of Miss Teen International 2018.

Hinkley is employed during the spring and summer with The Family Freeze in Wilton. She is a sophomore at Mt. Blue High School where she is a highest honor student having earned her academic letter last year, a member of the varsity cheerleading team and second term Student Council member.

Hinkley is also a member of the University of Maine at Farmington Upward Bound program, gym member of Firehouse Tumbling, a Chassé Cheer Athlete 2018 ambassador and creator of Be Bold Stand Up To Bullying, a campaign to raise awareness around bullying, which is her platform. The phrase “Be Bold” was an idea given by a teacher.

Hinkley created the campaign last year after as freshman who went through some bullying and, instead of keeping her feelings in, she turned it into a project in hopes no one ever has to feel the way she did.

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She has picked a school each school year to do her Locker Post It Notes project (Mt. Blue High School last May and Mt. Blue Middle School last fall) when every single locker, hallway wall, bathroom mirrors and stalls along with classroom doors had post its or signs on them. Some local schools and businesses also have the Be Bold Stand Up To Bullying posters up that Hinkley created and had printed. A car wash was held last summer to help raise money for items for her project, along with using her own earned money. Part of the raised money was donated to Hurricane Harvey relief as part of her fundraiser.

Since last year, Hinkley has created and bought more than 500 bracelets, pens, lanyards and key chains to give out to anyone who wanted them. She also had a notebook and T-shirt that she gave away as part of a free raffle she held this fall through social media. At this time, she does have roughly 125 bracelets left and some posters so if anyone would like to have some, they can contact her on her Facebook page and follow her public figure page for updates on her projects and pageants.

Tickets for the Miss Teen Maine International event are available at the door or by mailing a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 2432, Lewiston, ME 04241. Cost is adults, $25, and age 12 and under, $20.

Valerianne Hinkley

Valerianne Hinkley


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