2024 Program Book

Faith Harrison

Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland for 2023

the 66nd annual Maryland State Finals

Distinguished Young Women is a national scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full, individual potential through a fun, transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments.

• By encouraging continued education and providing college scholarships”

• By developing self-confidence and the abilities to

Order of Performances

Introductions

Fitness

Talent

Self-Expression

Special EntertainmentFaith Harrison, Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland for 2023

Awards and the announcement of the Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland for 2024

The state program would not be possible without countless hours of dedication by a commited group of volunteers. A huge thank you to all the people who made this weekend happen. If you would be interested in volunteering with our program and impacting lives of outstanding young women in our state, please email us at:

Maryland@DistinguishedYW.org

Nicole Orr: Chairperson of Maryland

Faith Mae Kiser: Co-Chairperson of Maryland

Faith Harrison: Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland for 2023

Janet Rhodes: Judges’ Chair

Sonia Bowie: Life Skills Coordinator

Nikki Bamonti, Hood College Director of Admissions:

Scholastics Judge

Ronda Dudley: Scholastic Coordinator

Ryan Harshman, CPA - Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz: Tabulator

Lisa Burnette: National Field Director

Halee Culicerto: National Support Team Mentor

The Distinguished Young Women experience begins at the local level in communities across the state of Maryland thanks to the dedication of our Local Program Committees. The State Committee would like to recognize these programs and extend gratitude to these volunteers for mentoring our Distinguished Young Women of Maryland Class of 2021 participants!

Janet Rhodes

Dara Schraft Terri Adams & Julie Smith

Rebecca Mitchell Terri Adams & Julie Smith

Terri Adams & Julie Smith Samantha Lysaght

Judges Panel

Alexandra Szewczyk

Alexandra “Alex” Szewczyk was born and raised in Great Mills, MD. She danced at Bunny Bailey Dance Studio for 15 years. Alex also performed in several Summerstock and St. Mary’s Ryken High School theatre productions. Alex served as Key Club Lieutenant Governor for Capital District Division 22B in 2011. Alex graduated from Towson University in 2016 majoring in Sociology/Anthropology with a criminal justice concentration. At Towson, Alex was on Fusion Dance Team, and the Equestrian Team. She was also a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority where she served as social chair. Alpha Gamma Delta’s philanthropy focused on JDRF and diabetes awareness. Alex is currently a Special Investigator for Paragon Systems in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. Additionally, she works as a Brand Ambassador for Monster Energy. In her spare time, she enjoys boxing, and cuddling with her cat and five month old puppy.

Anne

Anne Reaver has resided in Frederick County for over 40 years with her husband and two daughters. She owned a successful information technology consulting business before working at the family business, Emmitsburg Glass Company, where she managed the information technology and human resource departments. Anne belongs to the Women’s Giving Circle of Frederick and is the chairperson of the Community Foundation Grants Committee of Frederick County. She is also a trustee of the organization and will be appointed chairman of the board for the 2023-2024 term. Anne is also a trustee of Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where four generations of her family have attended grade school. She is a proud member of Frederick Health’s Order of the Good Samaritans and Team Hope, a local breast cancer charity supporting local women. Anne enjoys all types of music and played the flute for six years. She especially enjoys traveling with family and friends, having recently traveled to Africa and Italy. She also enjoys bike riding, summer concerts in Baker Park, and spending time with her four grandchildren. This will be her fourth year judging the Distinguished Young Women of Maryland Program.

Brooke Nixon

Brooke Nixon is a Carroll County native and proud has-been of the DYW community. In 2018, she was the DYW of Carroll County and the first-runner up at the state program where she earned the overall interview and self-expression awards. Brooke is a graduate of Christopher Newport University where she received degrees in Computer Information Science and Psychology and is currently a graduate student at Wake Forest University in the Experimental Psychology program where she researches human-computer interaction.

Brooke prides herself on being well-rounded and versatile. Following her year as DYW of Carroll County, she was crowned the youngest-ever Miss Baltimore at 17-years old, and has since held the titles of Miss Washington County 2019 and Miss Ijamsville 2020 with the Miss America Organization. In 2019, she founded an initiative called #Tech-Telligence that aims to promote cyber safety and technical literacy among youth. Through partnerships ranging from local government to national organizations such as the Girl Scouts of the USA, her Tech-telligence presentations have reached hundreds of students across the country. Her research has been presented at over 20 regional, national, and international conferences, and she has co-authored four articles in peer-reviewed academic journals including the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology and the Journal of Language and Social Psychology. Brooke’s passion for cybersecurity has led her to complete internships with prestigious organizations including the State Employees Credit Union, United States Navy, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, singing, hiking, and traveling.

Reaver

Judges Panel

Carla Pappas

Carla Pappas is a clinical social worker and adolescent therapist at Capital Youth Services in Rockville, Maryland where she works with young people and families in various stages of development. In addition to maintaining a position in a group practice, she has had extensive experience working with individuals and groups in schools, communities, and hospital settings. She specializes in using integrated approaches that include aspects of Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, Mindfulness, and Strength-Based modalities. Carla is of Portuguese heritage having immigrated to the U.S. at the age of eleven, and together with her husband of Greek descent they are raising two multicultural and bilingual adolescents in Frederick, Maryland. She values family adventures, the outdoors, art and mentoring students. Her greatest passion is exploring various cultures and diverse abilities by connecting the individuals and communities.

Shyama Bhatt

Shyama Bhatt is a fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Neurosurgery. Her primary focus is bench and clinical trials surrounding pituitary disorders. She took part in the DYW program in Illinois in 2018 and was the DYW of Gurnee. She received her bachelors degree in psychology and biology from Wayne State University as a part of their Wayne Med Direct program. She finished her bachelor’s degree in 2 years with a summa cum laude distinction. She hopes to one day impact the field of neurosurgery. In her free time, she loves to travel, cook and dance.

Mistresses of Ceremonies

Sonia Amir-Bowie

Born to a Pakistani father and Colombian mother, Sonia Amir-Bowie came to America at a young age where she has thrived—earning her B.A. Degree from the University of Maryland College Park, her M.S. from the University of Maryland Global Campus, an executive certificate in Nonprofit Management at Georgetown University and a certificate in Women’s Leadership from Cornell University. In the year 2000, Sonia earned the title of Miss Maryland where she received scholarship awards to obtain her graduate degree debtfree. Over the years, Sonia has worked with various nonprofit organizations and helped establish national youth leadership and workforce development initiatives. Currently, she works at Hood College and assists faculty with the daily operations of the Doctoral Program in Organizational Leadership. Sonia is an active volunteer with nationally recognized scholarship organizations that enable young women to pursue their academic ambitions. She has served on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force for the Miss America Organization, and assisted with the development of Life Skills workshops for young female leaders in the Distinguished Young Women program. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano, horse riding, working out and traveling. She and her family currently reside in Frederick, Maryland.

Faith Harrison

Class of 2024

PICTURED

Grace Adeboyejo

Potomac #1

HIGH SCHOOL: From the Heart Christian School

CAREER GOALS: Cybersecurity/Tech Attorney

COLLEGE CHOICES: University of Maryland College Park; Spelman College; Princeton University

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: County Science Fair-1st Place, Amer. Nuclear Soc. & 1st PlaceAmer. Ind. Hygiene Assn; Certified Lifeguard/Health Care Standard

First AID (CPR & AED); Girl Scout Silver Award & Trefoil Award; President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement; MD Affiliate NCWIT Award for ComputingUMD; Aerospace Corporaion Summer Internship; Natl. Honor Society; Girl Scout Congressional Aide Program; Syracuse Univ. Merit Scholarship/IT Girls Program

TALENT: Instrumental Performance - Harp

SELECTION: Amazing Grace

Christian Brown

Hughesville #2

HIGH SCHOOL: St Mary’s Ryken High School

CAREER GOALS: Criminal Defense Attorney/ Political Figure

COLLEGE CHOICES: Ivy League

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: President’s List ; Principal’s List ; Ryken Leadership Award ; Student Council Member ; Cheer Team; Debate Team; Girl Scouts; Mock Trial; Project Lead the Way Honors Program ; Student Council; Top Teens of America (Prince George County Chapter); US Attorney Office Leadership Program

TALENT:

SELECTION:

Genna Bucklew

White Plains #3

HIGH SCHOOL: St. Mary’s Ryken High School

CAREER GOALS: CIA Agent

COLLEGE CHOICES: University of Maryland

ACTIVITIES/HONORS:

President’s List (3.6+ GPA); National Honors Society ; Founder of Southern Maryland United Skating Team; Team

Captain, Evolution Theatre On Ice Team; Preliminary Moves in the Field passed with Honors - Figure Skating; Secretary, National English Honors Society; AP Scholar with Honor; Team Award - Evolution Theatre On Ice; Scholarship Winner at St. Mary’s Ryken; Recipient of AP Seminar and Research Certificate

TALENT: Inline Figure Skating

SELECTION:

Priyanka Gupta

Ballenger #4

HIGH SCHOOL: Tuscarora High School

CAREER GOALS: Software Engineer

COLLEGE CHOICES: Princeton University

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Varsity Tennis, Captain, Regional Champion, 3rd Place at State; Tennis MVP Award; American Legion Oratorical Contest, 2nd Place; AP Scholar; NCWIT Aspirations in Computing MD Award; George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest, 1st Place; Dean’s List at Frederick Community College; Athlete of the Month; 2023 Bezos Scholar; Academic Team, Captain; Computer Science Honors Society, President; Cyber Association Club at FCC; JV Basketball, Captain; Sales Assistant at a Computer Wholesaler

TALENT: Bollywood Dance

SELECTION:

Kamariya

Zena Brantuo

Waldorf #5

HIGH SCHOOL: North Point High School

CAREER GOALS: Dermatologist, Philanthropist

COLLEGE CHOICES: Stanford, Harvard, Rice

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: 2nd place “Its Academic” County Level Competition; Principal’s Honor Roll; Scholar Athlete Award; Varsity Letter Award; Gold Medalist, Quiz Bowl MD Skills USA competition; Questbridge College Prep Scholar; Academic Quiz Bowl Captain; Junior Class President; National Technical Honor Society, VP of Service; Grip Tape Challenger; Science National Honor Society; Varsity Tennis ; Founder, The Elmina Project; Founder, The Feminine Focus

TALENT: Instrumental PerformanceTrumpet

SELECTION: I Will Survive

Isabella Vasquez

Braddock Heights #6

HIGH SCHOOL: Frederick High School

CAREER GOALS: Criminal Lawyer, Corporate lawyer, International Relations, Political Science

COLLEGE CHOICES: Georgetown University, University of Cambridge, Hood College

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Honor Roll; Music Award; Fall Festival; Festival Dance; Gardening Club; Kids Studies; Volleyball Tournaments; Reading

TALENT: Vocal and Instrumental Performance

SELECTION:

Chidalu Emy-Munonye

Downtown Frederick #7

HIGH SCHOOL: Urbana High School

CAREER GOALS: Project Manager in Biotech

COLLEGE CHOICES: Emory University

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: NCWIT Aspirations in Computing MD Affiliate Winner; AP® Scholar with Distinction Award; FCPS Model UN Conference, Best Delegate; President of the Senate of Maryland Youth and Government; Foreign Policy Youth Collaborative Chapter Ambassador; M.I.T.E.S. Semester (M.I.T Pre-College Program); MIT Beaver Works Institute Fall Computational Biology Program; Published Poet of American High School Poets; Youth Conference on National Affairs, MD Representative; Black Student Assoc; Science Natl Honor Society

TALENT: Spoken Word - Poetry

SELECTION: Blinding Lights

HIGH SCHOOL: Arkansas Virtual Academy

CAREER GOALS: Pediatric Occupational Therapist, dance

COLLEGE CHOICES: University Of Central Arkansas

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Internatl. Public Policy Forum Debate Comp, World Champion; FL Keys Internatl. Music Comp, 2nd Place; Natl. Carson Scholar; MD General Assembly Citation of Recognition; Gold President’s Service Volunteering Award; Horizon F dn Young Advocates Award; MockTrial State Champion; Public Forum, ranked #1 in US; FBLA Nationals, 2nd Place Client Service Event; Gen Z Career Exploration Seminar, founder

TALENT: Dance - Chinese Modern

SELECTION:

HIGH SCHOOL: Winters Mill High School

CAREER GOALS: Travel with sand tray therapy

COLLEGE CHOICES: Hood College, small college

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Carroll County All County Orchestra; National Honor Society; Tri M; Straight A Honor Roll; Drawing; Key Club; Playing Video Games; Soccer; Track; Writing Stories

TALENT: Instrumental Performance - Cello

SELECTION: Golden Hour

Natalie Duvall

Westminster #9

Lily Peng

Columbia #8

Kaleb Hubler

Charles County #10

HIGH SCHOOL: La Plata High School

CAREER GOALS: Supreme Court Justice

COLLEGE CHOICES: University of Maryland

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Polyglots, 1st Place; Excellence in the Scholars Course of Study; Exemplary Attendance; Outstanding Academic Excellence; Social Studies Department Award ; Principals Honor Roll; HOBY MD Ambassadorship; Mock Trial, Star Attorney; National Honor Society; Chick-fil-A Leader Academy; GayStraight Alliance; Lifeguarding; Mock Trial; Thespians; World Language Honor Society

TALENT: Spoken Word - Monologue

SELECTION: Star Attorney Closing Remarks

Sanaa Nayeem

Monrovia #11

HIGH SCHOOL: Urbana High School

CAREER GOALS: Linguistics

COLLEGE CHOICES: Dartmouth

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Chinese competition medalist; National Honors Society; National Science Honors Society; Presidential award; Babysitting; Chinese Lessons; Organizer/ founder of community youth summer camp; Swimming and Tennis Summer camp Coach/Counselor; Tennis Team; Tutoring

TALENT: Spoken Word - Chinese poetry

SELECTION: The Value of Patience

Neha Nair Middletown #12

HIGH SCHOOL: Middletown High School

CAREER GOALS: Theoretical Astrophysicist

COLLEGE CHOICES: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Martin Luther King Jr. Award; Exemplary Research Award for Earth Systems Science Research; Math National Honors Society; Naval Science Award; Platinum Performance Academic Award; Science National Honors Society, President; Microsoft Office Specialist-Excel & Word Associate; National Honors Society, President; Cecchetti Council of America Exams Grades I - V; Dee Buchanan Studio of Dance, Tom Waters Scholarship; Ballet; Book Club; Contemporary Dance; Girl Scouts; Jazz; Mock Trial; SGA

TALENT: Instrumental Performance - Piano

SELECTION:

Nightmare

Marissa Italia Pasko

Patuxent #13

HIGH SCHOOL: St. Mary’s Ryken High School

CAREER GOALS: Career in Pediatric Health Care

COLLEGE CHOICES: Undecided

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Biomedical Scholars Program; Fine Arts: New Faces Production Award; International Thespian Society; National Art Honor Society; National Honor Society; Key Club, Class Representative; President’s Honor Roll List (3.6 and higher GPA) ; Principals Recognition of Service Award ; Science National Honor Society: Community Service Coordinator; Student Council; Theatre ; Painting/Drawing ; Modeling; Fitness; Piano

TALENT: Spoken Word - Poetry

SELECTION:

Kennedi Jones

Southern Maryland #14

HIGH SCHOOL: Huntingtown High School

CAREER GOALS: Computer Science

COLLEGE CHOICES: New York University, Columbia University or Johns Hopkins University

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Perfect Attendance; Varsity Athlete Award; Minds in Motion Scholar Athlete Award; Principal’s Academic Excellence Award; Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Patriotic Essay Competition Local Winner; AP Scholar with Distinction; Class Council; Varsity Dance Team; Student Government Association; Stock Market Club; Key Club; Minority Girls Club; Freshman & Sophomore Senate; Girl’s Huddle

TALENT: Dance

SELECTION: Me Too

Emily Schueftan

Urbana

HIGH SCHOOL: Urbana High School

CAREER GOALS: Medical field- Doctor

COLLEGE CHOICES: University of Maryland

#15

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: SkillsUSA MD State Health Knowledge Bowl, 1st Place, 2nd Place; SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference Health Knowledge Bowl, 11th in the nation; SkillsUSA Statesman Award; Academic Excellence Award-CTC; Student of the Month Award-CTC; National Honor Society; National Science Honor Society; National Technical Honor Society; Flag Football; SkillsUSA, chapter officer ; GSA Network high school chapter, President & Founder; Women’s Empowerment Society, President; Club Hope, Officer; High School Ambassador;

TALENT: Presentation

SELECTION:

Nithya Sai Parepally

Ellicott City #16

HIGH SCHOOL: Centennial High School

CAREER GOALS: Aerospace Engineering/Robotics

COLLEGE CHOICES: University of Maryland, College Park

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: National Technical Honor Society; AP Scholar; First Tech Challenge, 1st Place Connect Award; National Center for Women InTechnology MD Affiliate Winner; National English Honor Society; National Math Honor Society; Fusion 360 Certified User; First Tech Challenge Dean’s List Semifinalist; National Honor Society; National Science Honor Society; Active Minds, President & Student Ambassador; Bharatanatyam; First Tech Challenge Robotics, Captain; Future Business Leaders of America, Vice President

TALENT: Instrumental Performance - Veena

SELECTION:

Excerpts from Kapi Thillana

Shloka Tambat

Ijamsville #17

HIGH SCHOOL: Urbana High School

CAREER GOALS: Biology

COLLEGE CHOICES: USNA

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: National Honor Society; Athlete of the; Athlete of the year; Tennis County Champion; Tennis State Champion team; Tennis Regional Champion; Cross-Coutry; Swimming

TALENT: Spoken Word - Public Speaking

SELECTION: Tennis

Sophia Lennon

Chesapeake #18

HIGH SCHOOL: The Calverton School

CAREER GOALS: Undecided

COLLEGE CHOICES: Undecided

ACTIVITIES/HONORS: Citzenship award; Merit scholarship; cheerleading; lacrosse

TALENT:

SELECTION:

1958 Gale L. Dawson, Silver Spring

1959 *

1960 Desda Morris, Silver Spring

1961 Suzanne DeLong, Westminster

1962 Dorothy Sue Zucco, Baltimore

1963 Gail Saltsman, Randallstown

1964 Paula Morgan, Lutherville

1965 Linda Miller, Baltimore

1966 Susan Lane, Rockville

1967 Carol Barrow, Ellicon City

1968 Holly Ann Palmer, Laurel

1969 Jane Roberts, Silver Spring

1970 Sheila Louise O’Regan, Bowie

1971 Kathryn Lee Epstein, Bowie

1972 Eileen A. Blackman, Silver Spring

1973 Lori Grimes, Laurel

1974 Cathy Holz, Ellicott City

1975 Claudia Miller, Sparks (5)

1976 Marlene M. Lunn, LaPlata

1977 Cindy Wolfe, Glen Burnie

1978 Jo Anne Lindsey, Towson

1979 Lisa Koogle, Brunswick

1980 Dawn Denham, Columbia (T)

1981 Tricia Sol, Lanham

1982 Virginia Cha, Frederick

1983 Pam Courtright, Columbia

1984 Suzanne Eacker, Ellicott City

1985 Michelle Sekula, Hagerstown

1986 Rebecca Cosentino, Ellicott City

1987 Debbie Redmond, Smithsburg

1988 Stephanie Hosier, Monrovia

1989 Mary McGuirk, Middletown

1990 Karin Hoppmann, Crofton

1991 Nicole Chafitz, New Midway (1)

1992 Jennifer Burnham, Reisterstown (1)

1993 Shannon Spence, Bryantown

1994 Alicia Larsen, Lanham

1995 Sruti Ranjami Nataraja

1996 Christina Jane Higdon, LaPlata

1997 Megan Holtz, LaPlata

1998 Megan Pickette, Mount Airy

1999 Kristen Fay, Frederick

2000 Sarah Wroth, Poolesville (5)

2001 Elizabeth Borowski, Baltimore

2002 Kristi Jobson, Annapolis

2003 Theresa DiSipio, Mount Airy

2004 Brooke Poklemba, Westminster

2005 Ronke Olaleye, Randallstown

2006 Mary Lee Adams, Columbia

2007 Lindsay Hanna, Frostburg

2008 Kali Phillips, Frederick

2009 Hannah Stone, Huntingtown

2010 Kristi Snyder, Bel Air (5)

2011 Rebecca Mitchell, Ijamsville

2012 Sierra Terrell, Upper Marlboro

2013 Aleks Knepper, Frostburg

2014 Margo Huffman, Westminister

2015 Nicole Lusk, La Plata

2016 Noelle Li, Phoenix

2017 Amanda Ellis, Baltimore

2018 Elena Rippeon, Westminister (5)

2019 Kara Iwanowski, Bel Air

2020 Megan Chang, Ijamsville

2021 Chloe Smith, Pikesville

2022 Genevieve Batman, Cumberland

2023 Faith Harrison, Upper Marlboro

KEY: (NW) National Winner (1) First Runner-up (2) Second Runner-up (3) Third Runner-up (4) Fourth Runner-up (5) Finalist (S) Overall Scholastics (T) Overall Talent (F) Overall Fitness (E) Overall Self-Expression (I) Overall Interview (SPR) Spirit * No Participant

On behalf of The Distinguished Young Women of America Program, we wish to extend our sincere gratitude to Hood College for their generous scholastic support. Hood offers Four-year, renewable fulltuition scholarship with maintenance of a 3.0 GPA to: Distinguished Young Woman of America; Any State Winner and a Four-year, renewable $28,000 scholarship with maintenance of a 3.0 GPA to: Any Distinguished Young Woman Participant on any level.

The Distinguished Young Women Program would like to thank McDaniel College in Westminster, MD for their continued support and generous scholarships. Take a look at what they offer our participants! They can earn a Four-year, renewable $25,000 scholarship with maintenance of a 3.0 GPA to the Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland and Distinguished Young Woman of America

Carrington Hodge

Alabama’s Carrington Hodge was named Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2023 during the 66th National Finals.

Carrington is a graduate of Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School. Her academic honors include being named a 2022-2023 CollegeBoard National African American Recognition Program Scholar, AP Scholar, Princeton Prize Certificate of Merit recipient, and more.

Outside of the classroom, Carrington is passionate about education and social justice. The project she devotes most of her time to is an initiative she founded, “Unmasked: The Simone Project.” The project began as a YouthServe assignment that Carrington strongly felt should continue on. The organization addresses topics such as minority history, social justice, and current events that may be uncomfortable to study in a classroom environment.

Aside from “Unmasked,” Carrington is extremely passionate about working with children. This love for impacting youth has lead her to become involved in organizations like YouthServe and has influenced her future career path in pediatrics.

In the fall, Carrington will attend Vanderbilt University on a pre-medical track, where she will also be on the dance team. She plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in pediatric neurosurgery. After dancing competitively for much of her life, she is most excited about expressing her love for dance in a new way with the team at sporting events and school activities.

With over $78,000 in total cash scholarships and a gold medallion, Carrington will represent the Class of 2023 as Distinguished Young Woman of America for this year.

DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMAN OF AMERICA FOR 2023

FUN FACTS

• If you ask Carrington what her perfect Saturday looks like, it definitely involves some sort of activity! She loves water parks, rollerskating, and being active.

• Carrington has been dancing since the age of three and will be on the Vanderbilt dance team starting this fall.

• While her comfort show is “Grey’s Anatomy,” she’s recently been binge-watching “This is Us.”

• She is an only child! Carrington is her parent’s pride and joy, and she knows they will be her biggest cheerleaders even when she moves away for college in another state.

• Carrington’s hidden talent - she sings! Whether it’s in a choir or in the car, Carrington loves to carry a tune.

• When asked who inspires her, she replied “Definitely Julianne (Distinguished Young Woman of Alabama for 2022). I have grown up with her and watched her balance school, dance, and service. I have been inspired by the way she handles it all.”

LEFT TO RIGHT, CLOCKWISE: Carrington participating in the Fitness category; having fun at Bellingrath Gardens and Home; taking a selfie with her new gold medallion; on the beaches of Dauphin Island; at the Girl Scout Party; performing her talent on stage.

National Sponsors

Distinguished Young Women is grateful to all of our national sponsors who make each year’s program possible through their generous contributions toward scholarships and the ongoing operation of the nationwide program.

States Club, Spirit Club & Event Sponsors

STATES CLUB

The businesses and individuals in the States Club sponsor a state’s representative during National Finals. The members of this elite group have graciously contributed $5,000 each. We appreciate their financial support and their dedication to the success of this program.

AJM Foundation Board

Arlene Mitchell

Austal

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

Delaney Development, Inc.

Distinguished Young Women Past Presidents

Dee Gambill

Elizabeth & Phil Kaiser

Evonik Corporation

Joy & Jimmy Grodnick

Judith K. Skelton

Kathy & Forrest Latta

Maureen Sullivan Collins, 1960

Mr. & Mrs. Norvelle Smith

Pam & Cisco Codina

Pam & Eric Patterson

The Coffeen Family

The Hearin-Chandler Foundation

The Howard Wealth Management Group of Stifel

Valerie Boltz Austin

SPIRIT CLUB

The businesses and individuals in the Spirit Club sponsor a state’s representative during National Finals. Members of this group have generously contributed $2,500 and we appreciate their support.

Captain Teresa Elders Foundation, 1992

Hargrove Engineers + Constructors

McKinney Petroleum Equipment

The Pilot Family

SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORS

These businesses and individuals funded events that took place during the 66th National Finals. Our thanks go out to them for making this year a special one.

AFTER FINALS PARTY

Mobile County

BE YOUR BEST SELF DAY

Junior League of Mobile

FAMILY FUN DAY

University of South Alabama

INTERVIEW WORKSHOP

The Adecco Group

STATE SPECIALTIES PARTY

Mobile County

WOMEN’S FORUM at University of Mobile

National Panhellenic Council

Program History

1958-2023

Distinguished Young Women was founded in 1958 by the Mobile (AL) Jaycees as an outgrowth of its popular Azalea Trail Maid program. Originally called America’s Junior Miss, Distinguished Young Women was created as a way to meet the need for higher education scholarships for young women.

While continuing to address the need for scholarships, Distinguished Young Women also saw an opportunity to help prepare young women for success in life after high school. Many skills that help individuals be successful—how to conduct a business interview, believing that your opinions are worthy of recognition and how to speak with confidence and effectively convey your thoughts—are not taught in school. Our Life Skills Workshops begin this education. Plus, to ensure the greatest impact possible, participation in our program is always free, allowing young women of all backgrounds to be able to reap the benefits of participation.

Distinguished Young Women is proud to be the oldest and largest scholarship program in the nation for college-bound high school senior girls. Since 1958, the program has awarded more than $120 million in cash scholarships at local, state, and national programs. In addition to cash scholarships, Distinguished Young Women participants are eligible for college-granted scholarships from over 100 colleges and universities across the country. Over $1 billion in college scholarship opportunities were provided to the Class of 2023, some of which included full tuition plus room and board. Many participants leave the program with scholarships, but all walk away from the experience with life skills to help them interview for jobs, develop healthy relationships and have increased confidence.

Throughout the years, Distinguished Young Women has continued to attract the nation’s best and brightest. More than 780,000 young women have participated in the program at the local, state and national levels. Journalist and anchor Diane Sawyer (1963), Journalist Deborah Norville (1975), Will & Grace actress Debra Messing (1986), CNN anchor Robin Meade (1987) and violinist and best-selling author Lindsey Stirling (2005) are a few of the program’s celebrity faces. Distinguished Young Women is proud to have helped these women on their road to success and is equally proud of the thousands of other past participants who have achieved success through a vast number of careers, such as Dr. Linda Rutledge Delbridge (1973), vice-president at IBM; Marlo Graves (1990), Shuttle Integration Group Engineer for Boeing; pediatrician Dr. Susan Davidson (1998); and Sruthi Palaniappan (2016), the youngest delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention and current Vice President at Newsguard.

Distinguished Young Women continues because of the hard work and dedication of more than 10,000 volunteers throughout the nation. These individuals devote countless hours to planning, funding and executing local, state and national programs. A board of directors including civic, business and professional leaders governs the national nonprofit corporation. These volunteers are committed to providing opportunities to young women who have achieved excellence in their high school careers. Thanks to dedicated volunteers and support from the Mobile community, Distinguished Young Women continues to impact the lives of thousands of young women across the country.

LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. Phyllis Whitenack (WV) was the first national representative in 1958. 2. The Class of 1963 takes part in the Youth Fitness. In the center is Diane Sawyer, Kentucky and America’s Junior Miss for that year. 3. The Tonight Show’s Ed McMahon served as host of the program in 1980. 4. Kim Smith (NC) was the first America’s Junior Miss to receive a medallion instead of a crown in 1981. 5. Tyrenda Williams, America’s Junior Miss for 1997, spreads the message of the Be Your Best Self. 6. The Class of 2001 Has Beens perform. 7. Madison Leonard of Idaho was named the first Distinguished Young Women of America in 2010. 8. A participant in the local Charleston County (SC) program takes part in a Life Skills Workshop in 2015.

Distinguished Alumnae

The Distinguished Alumnae is a sisterhood of more than 780,000 women who have participated in Distinguished Young Women or Junior Miss programs at any level—local, state or national—since the program’s origin. They are passionate about this program!

HOW TO STAY INVOLVED

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

In February 2019, the Distinguished Network launched providing an online space for alumnae of all ages to network and connect. Join the private Facebook page by searching “The Distinguished Network.”

JOIN US IN PERSON

Past participants stay connected through newsletters and updates, alumnae reunions and clubs, volunteering and social media. We currently have Alumnae Clubs in Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Alumnae can receive information about getting connected by emailing Lisa@DistinguishedYW.org

Get Involved!

Help us continue to share the message and impact of Distinguished Young Women by getting involved with local programs in your area, OR start a program in your area using our flexible format options!

In order to increase our impact, we need new grassroots programs reaching into communities. These programs feed into our state programs to help them grow! Flexible format local programs were created with the intention that anyone can start a program - regardless of time, location or resources. Here are some of the perks of our flexible format:

YOU CAN DO IT!

• Minimal time commitment - only a few hours

• Flexible - you set the schedule

• Host your local program partially OR fully digital

• DYW provides the Scholastics Judge, Program Judge contacts, Fitness routine, Life Skills Workshop videos and College-Granted Scholarships

• No venue needed

• Low to ZERO cost

Are YOU able to volunteer even a few hours of your time and start impacting young women? Contact our National Field Director, Lisa Lawley Burnette, at Lisa@DistinguishedYW.org for a more in-depth description of our program options or to get connected with a program in your area.

Distinguished Young Women

CARRINGTON HODGE alabama

CAMPBELL YUNG arkansas

HIYUN LEE arizona

JAZZIE TROTTER alaska

AIMEE ALSTON massachusetts

VICTORIA STROM michigan

ISABELLA MOLITOR minnesota

SUMMER BARNES missouri

SOPHIE PITTS mississippi

MADISON PARKERSON north carolina

MAKAYLA ZAMORA new mexico

TERESA ZHANG new york

DELANEY FINSLEY ohio

KALYN VOIGHTMAN north dakota

SYDNEY ADREON vermont

MEGAN TANDAR utah

NICOLE WU texas

PAIGE PEDERSON south dakota

MAGGIE HAIMELIN tennessee

ERIKA KWEE hawaii

JULIANA COGSWELL illinois

CLAIRE NEIBAUR idaho

ALINA MARKUTSYA iowa

MADISON PARKER indiana

CLASS of 2023

ANNA CANGELOSI georgia

SARAH DOWNING florida

EVELYN LEE colorado

HALEY CUMMINS delaware

GIANNA MENNELLA connecticut

ABIGAIL LESCENSKI nevada

MCKINLEY MURRAY montana DELANEY KNIGHT nebraska

OLIVIA HUGHES new jersey

KIANNA HARLOW new hampshire

ANA AVDELLAS pennsylvania

ELLA DIERLAM oklahoma KIELE JARNAGIN oregon

MAKENA PETSCH rhode island

JULIANA GUEST south carolina

RYANN LUND wyoming

SARA LYNN LOUCKS virginia OLIVIA NG washington

KAITLYN HATFIELD west virginia

ERIN HU wisconsin

EMILY HANSEN kansas CLAIRE MARTIN kentucky

FAITH HARRISON maryland

EMMA MOREAU maine

ROSIE SHULTZ louisiana

Class of 2023 Awards

The Class of 2023 shared in $155,000 in cash scholarships at the national level and more than $1 BILLION in college-granted scholarships available to them by taking part in the Distinguished Young Women experience.

FINAL AWARDS CATEGORY AWARDS

DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMAN OF AMERICA • $40,000

Carrington Hodge Alabama

FIRST RUNNER-UP • $20,000

Maggie Haimelin Tennessee

SECOND RUNNER-UP • $15,000

Madison Parker Indiana

THIRD RUNNER-UP • $10,000

Megan Tandar Utah

FINALISTS • $5,000

Jazzie Trotter Alaska

Rosie Shultz Louisiana

Nicole Wu Texas

Erin Hu Wisconsin

SATELLITE AWARDS

JOY MITCHELL GRODNICK SPIRIT AWARD • $2,000

Ella Dierlam Oklahoma

DR. RICHARD B. ROGERS SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP • $2,000

Delaney Knight Nebraska

REBECCA HOUSTON TODD ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AWARD •

$1,500

Kaitlyn Hatfield West Virginia

BORK FAMILY SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD • $500 EACH

Rosie Shultz Louisiana Sarah Lynn Loucks Virginia

TELL ME A STORY by Maureen Sullivan Collins • $2,500

Alina Markutsya Iowa Ana Avdellas Pennsylvania

Press Register/AL.com DISTINGUISHED DIARY AWARD • $1,000

Rosie Shultz Louisiana

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD presented by the Hyman Family Foundation • $1,000

Juliana Guest South Carolina

INTERVIEW • $1,000

Carrington Hodge AL

Jazzie Trotter AK

SCHOLASTICS • $1,000

Hiyun Lee AZ

Teresa Zhang NY

TALENT • $1,000

Carrington Hodge AL

Victoria Strom MI

FITNESS • $1,000

Carrington Hodge AL

Sarah Downing FL

SELF-EXPRESSION • $1,000

Carrington Hodge AL

Alina Markutsya IA

Alina Markutsya IA Erin Hu WI

Megan Tandar UT

Nicole Wu TX Erin Hu WI

Megan Tandar UT

Maggie Haimelin TN Megan Tandar UT

Nicole Wu TX

Madison Parker IN Maggie Haimelin TN

Victoria Strom MI

Rosie Shultz LA Sarah Lynn Loucks VA

Delaney Finsley OH

NATIONAL PANHELLENIC CONFERENCE/NPC FOUNDATION AWARD • $1,000 EACH

Carrington Hodge Alabama Anna Cangelosi Georgia

Juliana Guest South Carolina

CHICK-FIL-A BE YOUR BEST SELF AWARD in honor of REGGIE AND BETTY COPELAND • $1,250 EACH

Hiyun Lee Arizona Nicole Wu Texas

DISTINGUISHED VLOGGER AWARD in honor of ROXANN DYESS • $1,000 Mikayla Dayton Delaware 2022

AMY OSMOND COOK CLASS OF 2022 HAS BEEN AWARD • $2,000

Mikayla Dayton Delaware 2022

ROXANN DYESS HAS BEEN AWARD • $2,000

Kate Chevaire New Hampshire 2022

DISTINGUISHED OUTREACH AWARD • $1,000

Finley Richardson Mobile County, AL

Be Your Best Self

Class of 2023 state representatives shared the message of Be Your Best Self with more than 5,000 children across the country

Founded in 1987, the Be Your Best Self (BYBS) program is the official outreach program of Distinguished Young Women. In keeping with our mission, the program provides an opportunity for participants to beneficially impact the lives of children in their communities.

The simple and practical message of the Be Your Best Self program is carried across the country through dynamic and engaging presentations created by Distinguished Young Women participants at all levels (local, state and national).

The Be Your Best Self program seeks to encourage young people to lead successful and productive lives. Participants delivering the BYBS message use their personal experiences and unique talents to create presentations that inspire leaders for the future. Be Healthy, Be Involved, Be Studious, Be Ambitious and Be Responsible are the five elements that help define what it means to Be Your Best Self.

This year, Distinguished Young Women celebrated its fifteenth annual National Be Your Best Self Week, a nationwide event that took place April 17-21. During the week, Distinguished Young Women participants across the country visited with groups of children in their communities and via social media to share the Be Your Best Self message. As a result, thousands of young people learned what it means to be their best selves and how they can work toward a bright and productive future.

Distinguished Young Women is proud to offer a special scholarship award in conjunction with the Be Your Best Self program, the Distinguished Outreach Award. Any young woman who participated in a 2023 Distinguished Young Women program at the local or state level (excludes state winners) and participated in National Be Your Best Self Week was eligible to compete for the award. The recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Outreach Award is Finley Richardson of Mobile County, AL. The Be Your Best Self Scholarship Selection Committee consists of Tifara Brown, Emily Lloyd Herman, Bliss McMichael, and Tobi Collins Weingart.

BRING BYBS TO YOUR COMMUNITY! Want a BYBS presentation at your organization or school? Contact Lisa@DistinguishedYW.org to find the program closest to you.

a Be Your Best Self presentation at Junior Achievement; 2023 Distinguished Outreach recipient, Finley Richardson.

BE AMBITIOUS Set and achieve goals

BE RESPONSIBLE Live by moral and ethical principles

BE STUDIOUS Stay in school and be a lifelong learner

TOP TO BOTTOM: Kristen Logan, the 1988 National Representative, gives

College-Granted Scholarships

ALBION COLLEGE

Albion, Michigan

Four year, renewable $1,000 scholarship to:

• Any Distinguished Young Women participant

To qualify, students my apply for admission by December 1st of their senior year of high school.

CARROLL COLLEGE*

Helena, Montana

Four-year renewable scholarship of $24,000, with annual renewal contingent on maintaining a 2.0 or higher college GPA to:

• National Scholastic Winner

Four-year renewable scholarship of $22,000, with annual renewal contingent on maintaining a 2.0 or higher college GPA to:

• Any State Scholastic Winner

Four-year renewable scholarship of $21,000, with annual renewal contingent on maintaining a 2.0 or higher college GPAt o:

• Any Local Scholastic Winner

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY*

Orange, California

Four-year renewable Presidential Scholarship ($32,000 annually/$128,000 total award) to:

• Any State Winner

• State level Overall Scholastics Winner

Must apply and qualify for Freshman Admission. Scholarship is renewable provided student maintains full time attendance and GPA requirements.

HOOD COLLEGE*

Frederick, Maryland

Four-year, renewable full tuition scholarship with maintenance of a 3.25 GPA to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of America

• Any State Winner $112,000 Presidential scholarship ($28,000* minimum annually, renewable for up to four years) with maintenance of a 3.25 GPA to:

• Any DYW participant

HUNTINGDON COLLEGE*

Montgomery, Alabama

Four-year, full tuition renewable scholarship to:

• Any State Winner (Limited to 5 awards per year.)

JUNIATA COLLEGE

Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

Four-year, renewable $20,000-$36,000 merit scholarship to:

• Any DYW participant

Additional recognition for student applicants who demonstrate commitment to leadership, service, and their community to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of America will also receive a four-year renewable $2,500 award

• Any State Winner will also receive a four-year renewable $1,000 award

• All DYW participants will also receive a fouryear renewable $500 award

OHIO UNIVERSITY

Athens, Ohio

Four-year, renewable scholarship of $2,000 with maintenance of a 3.0 GPA and minimum of 12 credit hours per semester to:

• Any Distinguished Young Woman participant Limited to 3 awards per year. May be combined with certain other university scholarships.

OHIO UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS*

Athens, Ohio

Four-year, $1,250-$2,500 renewable four year scholarship to:

• Any Participant who is admitted to, and pursues a major in, the OHIO University College of Fine Arts (the Schools of Music, Art+Design, Theatre, Dance, Film, or Interdisciplinary Arts)

OHIO UNIVERSITY HONORS TUTORIAL COLLEGE

Athens, Ohio

Four-year, renewable scholarship valued at full, in-state tuition to:

• Any participant enrolling in the Honors Tutorial College as a first-year student in fall 2023.

Additional four-year, renewable scholarship valued at $7,000 annually and applicable specifically to the out-of-state surcharge to:

• Any non-Ohio resident and DYW participant enrolling in the Honors Tutorial College as a first-year student in Fall 2023 Scholarship may not be combined with certain other university scholarships. More details available upon request.

QUINCY UNIVERSITY

Quincy, Illinois

$5,000 renewable four year scholarship to:

• Any National, State, or Local winner

RANDOLPH COLLEGE

Lynchburg, Virginia

All Distinguished Young Women Participants are eligible for the WildCat Commitment awards of:

• $5,000 four-year renewable scholarship to students with 4.0 or higher HS GPA

• $4,000 four-year renewable scholarship to students with 3.75-3.99 HS GPA

• $3,000 four-year renewable scholarship to students with 3.5-3.74 HS GPA

• $2,000 four-year renewable scholarship to students with 3.25-3.49 HS GPA

• $1,000 Four-year renewable scholarship to students with 3.0-3.24 HS GPA

*Through a combination of merit scholarships, needbased grants, and other incentives, every admitted student who files the fafsa will receive at least $13,000 in financial commitment from randolph college.

SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Georgetown, Texas

Four-year, renewable $7,500 scholarship to:

• Any National Program participant

Four-year, renewable $5,000 scholarship to:

• Any State Program participant (from any state)

Four-year, renewable $2,500 scholarship to:

• Any Texas Local Program participant

All applicants for admission to Southwestern will be considered for our general merit scholarships at the time of admission review. DYW program awards may be stacked with general scholarship awards from the University.

SPRINGHILL COLLEGE*

Mobile, Alabama

Four-year, full tuition and fees scholarship to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of America

Four-year full tuition scholarship; must have a minimum 30 ACT and 3.7 high school GPA; Limited to one award per year to:

• Any State Winner (Limited to 1 award per year.)

ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY

San Antonio, Texas

Four-year, renewable full tuition scholarship to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of America

• Distinguished Young Woman of Texas

• National Scholastic Category Winners

• All State Winers with 30 ACT and 3.7 high school GPA

STETSON UNIVERSITY*

DeLand, Florida

Four-year Presidential Scholarship ranging from $22,500 to $30,000, witht all applicable enrollment requirements met and maintenance of a 2.0 GPA to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of America

• Distinguished Young Woman of Florida

STEVENSON UNIVERSITY*

Stevenson, Maryland

Four-year, renewable $15,000 scholarships to:

• Any State Winner

TENNESSEE WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Athens, Tennessee

Four year, renewable $1,000 scholarship, with annual renewal contingent on maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA to:

• Any Participant

Additional Academic Scholarships, with annual renewal contingent on maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA, awarded to Any Participant:

• $14,000 four-year renewable scholarship to students with a 3.86-4.00 high school GPA

• $12,000 four-year renewable scholarship to students with a 3.30-3.85 high school GPA

• $10,000 four-year renewable scholarship to students with a 2.90-3.29 high school GPA

• $8,000 four-year renewable scholarship to students with a 2.89-2.00 high school GPA

TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY

Seguin, Texas

Four year, renewable $2,000 scholarship to:

• Any State Winner

Four year, renewable $1,500 scholarship to:

• Any State First Runner-Up

Four year, renewable $1,000 scholarship to:

• Any State Second Runner-Up

Four year, renewable $2,000 scholarship to:

• Any Texas Local Winner

Four year, renewable $1,500 scholarship to:

• Any Texas Local First Runner-Up

Four year, renewable $1,000 scholarship to:

• Any Texas Local Second Runner-Up *Students must be admitted as regular degreeseeking students. The scholarship is not applicable to summer sessions.

TROY UNIVERSITY*

Troy, Alabama

$10,000 Chancellor’s Scholarship and $1,250 Study Abroad

Scholarship to:

• Any State Winner

$3,500 DYW Scholarship and $1,250 Study Abroad Scholarship to:

• any Alabama local program winner with 3.0 GPA & 23 ACT

Four-year, renewable Trojan Opportunity Expanded Scholarship valued at the out-of-state portion of tuition costs with maintenance of 2.7 GPA to:

• Any State Winner with 3.0 GPA and 20 ACT

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA*

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Four-year award for the value of a Presidential scholarship, $5,000 freshman year housing scholarship and $5,000 study abroad stipend to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of America

Four-year award for the value of a Presidential scholarship to:

• Any State Winner

Four-year award for the value of a Presidential scholarship plus a $5,000 freshman year housing scholarship to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of Alabama

• Alabama’s Overall Scholastics Winner

*If student receives a merit-based automatic offer that is less than a Presidential, this designation will bump them to the Presidential. A student cannot receive both a merit-based award and program-based tuition award. Should student already be receiving a Presidential Scholarship, they will receive a $2,000/ year stipend, $300/year book scholarship, and a one-time $3,000 study abroad stipend. If National Representative has already received Presidential Scholarship, will only receive the housing scholarship and study abroad stipend.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM

Birmingham, Alabama

One-year, stackable scholarship of $1,000 to:

• Any State Winner

Four-year award for the value of a Presidential scholarship to:

• Any Alabama Local Winner

• Up to 2 participants who are nominated by the Distinguished Young Women of Jefferson County (AL) Program

*Must be admitted for the fall semester following HS graduation. Must submit the General Application in UAB’s Blazer Scholarship Management and Resource Tool and complete four additional questions. One of these additional questions requires you to upload written verification of your participation/selection from DYW. Deadline for completing the scholarship application is May 31.

UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE*

Mobile, Alabama

Four-year, renewable full tuition and fees scholarship, with maintenance of a 3.0 GPA, to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of America

Four-year, renewable half tuition scholarship, with maintenance of a 3.0 GPA, to:

• Any Distinguished Young Women participant

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA*

Mobile, Alabama

Four-year, renewable full tuition and fees scholarship with maintenance of a 3.0 GPA to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of America

• Distinguished Young Woman of Alabama

• National Overall Scholastics Winner

• Any State winner with 30 ACT or 1360 SAT and 3.0 GPA

After acceptance to USA, incoming first-time freshman will automatically be reviewed for the Freshman Admission awards. Students must be a U. S. citizen, applied for/obtained Permanent Residency, or a student attending a U.S. High School with a qualified visa status; be an incoming first-time freshman; and h Have at least a 3.0 High School GPA and an ACT super score of at least 21 (or SAT equivalent). Freshman Admission Scholarships range from $3,000-full tuition, renewable annually with eligiblitiy requirements met.

UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA

Livingston, Alabama

$2,500 four-year renewable Trustee Leadership Scholarship (with maintenance of a 3.0 GPA) to:

• Any local or state participant (with at least a 19 ACT)

*Trustee Academic Scholarships at UWA start at a 21 composite ACT and 3.0 HS GPA and can be partially stacked with the DYW award so qualified participants can receive the full amount for their highest award plus half of the next

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY*

Pullman, Washington

Four-year, full tuition scholarship at the Pullman campus, with annual renewal contingent on maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress and full-time status, to:

Distinguished Young Woman of America

WORCESTER STATE UNIVERSITY*

Worcester, Massachusetts

Four year, renewable scholarship at the rate of full in-state tuition and fees, with maintenance of a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher, to:

• Distinguished Young Woman of America

• Any State Winner

• Any State Scholastic Winner

*Recipients must have a 3.75 recalculated, cumulative high school GPA and must apply and qualify for fall freshman admission, prior to March 1st for the following semester. The scholarship is renewable for a maximum of four contiguous years.

YORK COLLEGE OF PENNSYLVANIA*

York, Pennsylvania

Four year, renewable $10,000 scholarship with maintenance of 3.0 GPA to:

• Any State Winner

• Any Pennsylvania Local Winner

* If a student receives a scholarship of higher value from the college, that scholarship will replace the scholarship associated with Distinguished Young Women.

The Class of 2024 is eligible for college-granted scholarships from colleges and universities across the nation similar to these offered to the Class of 2023.

FAST FACTS

CLASS OF 2022

average GPA of 4.4 and average ACT score of 30

$118 MILLION in cash scholarships awarded by the program at the local, state and national levels since 1958

300 PROGRAMS

50 state programs and hundreds of locals across the country

780,000+ WOMEN have participated in a Distinguished Young Women or Junior Miss program at local, state, and national levels

100+ COLLEGES

and universities offer college-granted scholarships to participants

10,000 VOLUNTEERS contribute their time and resources to programs across the nation

65 YEARS of operation, making it the oldest organization of its kind in the United States; headquartered in Mobile, AL since 1958

5 CATEGORIES including Scholastics (25%), Interview (25%), Talent (20%), Fitness (15%), and Public Speaking (15%)

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNAE

Diane Sawyer, Mary Frann, Debra Messing, Amy Goodman, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bellamy Young, Lindsey Stirling , and more!

Distinguished Young Women of Maryland wish to extend sincere gratitude to the Kahlert Foundation. We are thankful for the opportunities afforded to us as a result of your generosity and faith in our mission to positively mentor youth and lead by example. Thank you for believing in us. We are tomorrow's leaders.

We wish to thank the following for their generous donations

Anna Meredith

Sonia Bowie

Nicole Orr

Shannon Marko

Alex Bohn

Bill, Ryan and Brendan Orr

Steve and Arleen Chafitz

Hood College

Rotary of Carroll Creek

Sharon and Charles Riser

Faith Harrison

Faith Mae Kiser

Alexandra Kelly

Daniella Bowie

Alaina Bowie

Beyonce Carrington

Shelby Platner

Laura Platner

Danielle RizzoK

Samantha Lysaght

Rachel Shank

Janet Rhodes

Jordan Costley

Dr. Eric Louers-Phillips

Dr. Aarrthy Arunachalam

Bri Campbell

Laurel Carvauna

Alex Kelly

Kelly Jarvis

Adam Meredith

Karl and Donald Meredith

Brooke Nixon

MBRT for Education

Carrie Pannone

Pam Plante-SimpLIVEfy

Jamie and Nima Hendi

Matt and Sandy Wiley

Tim & BethAnn Mellott

Anne Reaver

Matt and Sandy Wiley

Dianah Gibson

Ronda Dudley

Aimee McBride

William Brown

Nikki Bamonti

Payton Mills

Britton Muir

Lisa Lawley Burnette

The Community Foundation of

Frederick County

Ryan Harshman

Heather Hardy

Charlotte Letourneau

RS Will Group

Ms. Cheri Poklemba

Ms.Karyls Kline and Mr. Tom Lynch

Ms. Kiara Jones

Bella DiPietrantonio

Tanya Pershin

Players Fitness and Performance

Dana Sones with Chick Fil A

Erica Wildberger: Set the Table

For more information about Distinguished Young Women

Contact Nicole Orr at 301-639-9803, Maryland@distinguishedyw.org or www.distinguishedYW.org.