If you or someone you know might be interested in applying for the Maine Lobster Festival title of Maine Sea Goddess, 19-year-old Chloe Blake has some great advice. The only Sea Goddess to hold the title for two years in a row (due to last year’s pandemic-related Festival cancellation), Blake is already a seasoned pro.
Blake, who grew up in Warren, Maine, said her connection to the Maine lobster industry comes from both her parents who work in Rockland, as well as from her summer job at Hill’s Seafood in Rockland.
“You can see the main stage of the Maine Lobster Festival from the deck of the restaurant,” she said.
She is currently attending the University of Maine at Farmington as a sophomore. Working on a degree as a secondary education science major, she hopes to teach middle school and high school students one day in the subjects of chemistry or Earth sciences.
It takes a lot of confidence to teach at the high school level, and Blake credits her last two years as a Maine Sea Goddess for helping boost that confidence.
She also has some great tips for any young woman in the state of Maine between ages 17 and 21 who is thinking of competing in the Sea Goddess Pageant.
“When you do your application video, be confident in the video and pretend you’re speaking to a crowd of people,” she said. “Be sure you know a lot about your sponsors.”
As an accepted applicant, each woman will be expected to stand in front of the Coronation Committee judges and answer some questions.
“I was very nervous at first,” she said. “Not only are you in front of the judges, but also all of the other potential Sea Princesses and their families. I just tried to focus only on the judges, make eye contact with them, and block everyone else out — and that really helped.”
As an ambassador to the Festival, the Maine Sea Goddess will need to be comfortable attending events during the year. Blake said of all the public events she attended as Maine Sea Goddess, she really enjoyed staying overnight at a hotel with Crown Princess Julia Clough representing the Festival at the Fryeburg Fair last year.
With the Festival back in full swing this summer, Blake is preparing her speech for the 2022 Maine Sea Goddess Coronation in August.
“Being a Sea Goddess really helps you with public speaking skills, and your ability to answer questions on the spot is a great skill to have for job interviews,” she said. “It helps if you are an extrovert, but even if you’re introverted, be comfortable with being open to new experiences and learning new things.”
As for the cash reward, Blake said she used all of her prize money toward her college tuition and books.
This year’s coronation will be on Aug. 3. The Festival is looking for 20 young ladies to apply to be Sea Goddesses. Cash prizes will be awarded to the Maine Sea Goddess, Crown Princess and Miss Congeniality. Check out our 2020 blog post for more tips for Sea Goddess applicants.
