Three outstanding young high school seniors will be vying for the coveted medallion and valuable scholarship monies this weekend as Crenshaw County holds its Distinguished Young Women Program.

The event is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, July 31 at the Luverne High School Auditorium.

Anna Whiddon of Crenshaw Christian Academy; Summer Waters of Luverne High School and Kara Gomillion of LHS will all participate in on-stage categories including talent (20 percent), fitness (15 percent) and self-expression (15 percent). Interviews, which count for 25 percent of the participants’ scores, will be held earlier in the day with their panel of evaluators. Scholastics, based on the participants’ academic records, counts 25 percent to round out the total score.

DYW is a national non-profit program providing  scholarship opportunities to high school senior girls. The local winner will go on to compete at the state level in  Montgomery in January 2022, with more than $40,000 in scholarships on offer. The national finals are held in June each year in Mobile, the birthplace of the program (originally known as America’s Junior Miss). (Provigil)

In addition to the scholarship program, which annually awards more than $1 billion nationwide, DYW hopefuls also participate in the Life Skills Program, offering online resources and workshops. Topics covered include interviewing, public speaking, self-confidence building, community involvement and more. The ultimate goal is to not only better prepare participants for the DYW program, but to equip them with valuable skills to carry them through college and career with a lifelong network of supportive women.

“We have three great girls representing our county. They have been really working hard to get ready for Saturday, and we hope lots of folks will turn out to support them this weekend,” said Mallory Carpenter of the Crenshaw County DYW Board.