Aria Keilbach Crowned 2025 Miss Northern Marianas Earth

Aria Keilbach, co-founder of Boonie Babies, was crowned Miss Earth Northern Marianas 2025 during Saturday’s coronation at the Marianas Beach Resort. She secured the title with not only her stage presence and poise, but also her passionate environmental advocacy and commitment to sustainable living.

Keilbach was one of nine contestants vying for the crown. But for her, the competition was about more than just winning. “I see this crown really helping in spreading awareness and bringing more eyes onto Saipan. Of course, the Boonie Babies and the Boonie Dogs are my passion. But really, the people themselves and the island needs more eyes on it to go for the root of the issues here, regardless of the dogs or not, everything environmental,” she said in an interview.

Interestingly, Keilbach hadn’t initially planned on joining the pageant. “I'm not comfortable on stage. This is completely outside my comfort zone. And I had no faith in myself,” she admitted. She credits her friends and peers for encouraging her to participate: “Everybody around me was like, no, this is a pageant made for you. It's entirely about nonprofits and eco-friendly things. And that's totally exactly what I do.”

In addition to the crown, Keilbach also received the “Best in Swimsuit” and “Miss Earth Environmental Leader” awards. Staying true to her mission and message, she wore a tropical bikini, skirt, and headpiece inspired by the Saipan boonies during the native costume segment—accompanied by a boonie dog pup. For the evening gown portion, she chose a dark, sparkly gown that showcased elegance and simplicity.

However, it was her performance during the questionnaire that truly set her apart. When asked how she would address climate change while promoting sustainability, she responded: “I think in the CNMI, we have a very unique vantage point in which we are seeing these environmental crises first. We see the mounds of trash that wash up on our beaches from distant shores, we see the coastal erosion that has claimed yards of our beaches in just a few short years, and I think it's incredible that these visual reminders are hitting so strongly right in front of us. ... These environmental issues are happening right here, right now.”

She also shared the steps she’s taking in her personal life including minimizing her use of single use plastics and encouraging others to do the same, “Most importantly, I fundraise for spay and neuter here in Saipan, which is an important issue because boonie dog waste is being detected in our oceans and harming coral reefs," she said.

As a newcomer to pageantry, Keilbach expressed deep gratitude for the support she received behind the scenes. “I really went into this thinking it would just be a quick five minutes on stage, maybe turn around once and walk right back off. But it is definitely much more than that. And I have had so many hands helping me.” She extended heartfelt thanks to Miss Earth Northern Marianas co-founders Diana Clayton and Rose Ajoste, “Mama Ernie,” her best friends Shay and Emily, and the Saipan Humane Society’s Lauren Cabrera—former Miss Vermont USA 2011. “So it was very exciting and surprising to see all of these random elements, and people that I had no idea knew how to do this sort of thing, come together to support me, who knew absolutely nothing myself. It was really wonderful and I'm very grateful for the community.”

Looking ahead, Keilbach said she’s already brainstorming how she can make a difference during her reign. “I definitely have lots of ideas spinning. Of course, some of them center around the dogs. Some of them are beach cleanups. But mostly I would like to see big community roundups to really focus on our island and the nature that needs to be preserved here. And I think people really want to help and they just need an event to bring them together. So I will for sure be thinking about that and doing more in the future.”

Outgoing queen Heavenly Pangelinan congratulated Keilbach and praised her passion. “I'm so, so proud of her. I think she has such a great journey ahead of her. She's so confident, so outspoken, and she has such a great advocacy going on, especially with Boonie Babies.” She also commended the other contestants: “I'm super proud of the girls. They're such a great batch. You know, I saw the bond they built, and I think it's really going to further their confidence and just their skills in general to perform and all of that. I think it was great...it was such an amazing night, such a successful pageant.”

Jazel Star Rebuenog was named Miss Air NMI as first runner-up, while Angel Calage earned the title of Miss Water NMI as second runner-up.

In the inaugural Miss Earth Teen Angel Pageant, which was held in conjunction with the main competition, Princess Gerardino took home the crown. Darlincia Masga was named first runner-up, followed by Jessara Rogopes (second runner-up), Ny’Elle Brown (third), Julany Indalecio (fourth), and Precious Castro (fifth runner-up).

Pageant co-founders Diana Indalecio Clayton (president) and Rose Ajoste (vice president) of Exquisite Production, the organization behind Miss Earth Northern Marianas, also expressed their appreciation for the community’s support.

“This is a culmination of five months worth of hard work, sacrifice and investment of time, resources and social connections,” said Ajoste. “...we're very happy for the support that we received from the community and from our sponsors, many of whom have been our sponsors since the very first year. Now that the pageant is in its seventh year, I feel that even the caliber of contestants is improving, and you know we're very excited about who we're going to send to the International Pageant in December… you can expect a lot more from Miss Earth in the coming months.”

Both Clayton and Ajoste emphasized the importance of continuing the organization’s environmental mission. “Taking care of our environment is very important regardless... So we are here to educate and to take some action. It might mean there's action that is not possible, but at least we're there to push that action, and hopefully one day it will happen,” said Clayton.