Miss Massachusetts USA and banana pancakes

By Jessica Teich, Globe Correspondent

Massachusetts got a new leading lady last week when Leominster native Sarah Kidd was crowned Miss Massachusetts USA 2013. Though Kidd has competed in the pageant three times (she snagged a spot in the top 15 in 2010, and was named second runner-up last year) this is the first big win for the 20-year-old. “I always dreamed it would be me, and I was surprised it was,” she told us shortly after her win. Kidd, who beat out more than 70 hopefuls this year, was convinced to compete for the title by 2008 winner Alicia Zitka. “She thought I’d be perfect for it. . . . Once I got home, I looked into it and I decided I’d give it a try. I just fell in love with it.” Kidd is studying dental hygiene at Mount Wachusett Community College. She insists: “I’m a huge nerd. I started college when I was 15. I think that’s something that surprises [people] about me.” And when she’s not polishing teeth or sporting evening wear onstage, Kidd says she spends her time experimenting in the kitchen. “I like to find healthy alternatives to unhealthy foods, so I spend a lot of time testing recipes and making disasters.” Her favorite discovery so far? “Definitely my banana pancakes. . . . I mash up one banana completely and mix in three egg whites, and it cooks and tastes exactly like a banana pancake.”