Washington County’s DYW program builds bonds that last decades
CHATOM, Ala. — Washington County recently marked 50 years of Distinguished Young Women, a program previously known as Young Woman of the Year and Junior Miss.
Former participants joined the 2024 scholarship winners at a July 15 celebration in Chatom.
The program aims to empower young women to reach their full potential by providing scholarship opportunities for college as well as personal development to become confident leaders.
DYW is among the largest scholarship programs for high school girls, giving out more than $1 billion dollars nationally.
This year, Washington County’s program gave $24,525 in scholarships to eight participants who spent the past nine months preparing for the program by attending life skills workshops, mock interviews, and talent preparation.
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The participants in the Class of 2024 include Allie Floyd, 2024 DYW of Washington County; Margaret Flowers, first-runner up; Madyson Jackson, second-runner up; Mikaya Thompson, Talent and Self-Expression winner; Brookelyn Keith, Fitness and Talent winner; Nour Jabnouni, Fitness & Interview winner; Sanaa Thomas, Community Service Award; and Kaylee Williams, Scholastic, Essay, and Spirit of DYW winner.
The 2024 DYW of Washington County contestants said they felt the love of the community shown through donations to the scholarship fund, donated meals, and gifts from Washington County businesses.
Participants spanning the past 50 years helped to celebrate the milestone with a reception before the program, a memorabilia display, and a “Has-Been Walk,” where they introduced themselves on stage and performed for the audience during intermission.
Contestants said they enjoyed the experience, some celebrating alongside their mothers and sisters who were involved in past DYW contests.
“DYW holds many wonderful memories for me, but none greater than getting to perform with my daughter Lexie this year,” said Rebecca Lowe, a 2003 participant. “We were both talent winners, 20 years apart, so it was just really special to be on stage here celebrating 50 years.”
It is no surprise to have so many participants came back to celebrate the program. Past Junior Miss and Distinguished Young Women participants say the program gave them both confidence to be their best selves while giving them life-long friendships.
“With the interview process, we were able to be really prepared for college scholarship applications and for job interviews, and it was kind of, in a way, an on-the-job training,” said Alicia Atcheson, a 1998 contestant.
Jessica Massey Ross, 1997 Junior Miss, agreed. “This program offers participants opportunities to develop stronger life-skills like public speaking and interviewing — skills that are useful as you prepare for college and future careers. The scholarship money and prizes were just a bonus — the real prizes were skills I gained and the friendships I made.”
Kristen Richardson, a 1998 contestant and current chairman of DYW of Washington County, said the program has given her “20 years of relationships and friendships with the most distinguished of Washington County, from participants to committee members.”
It’s also given her daughter “countless big sisters to look up to and call on,” she said.
Jessica Criswell, a Living Democracy student at Auburn University, is living and learning this summer in her hometown of Chatom, Alabama, as a Jean O'Connor Snyder Intern with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. The nonprofit program, coordinated by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, prepares undergraduate college students for civic life through living-learning experiences in the summer.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Washington County’s DYW program builds bonds that last decades
