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

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.

BE AMBITIOUS Set and achieve goals

BE RESPONSIBLE Live by moral and ethical principles

BE STUDIOUS Stay in school and be a lifelong learner