2012 DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMEN — A dinner was given recently by Pat Fuller for the contestants and moms of the 2012 Distinguished Young Women of Cleveland Scholarship Program (formerly Cleveland’s Junior Miss). The program will be on March 5, 6 p.m., at First Baptist Church of Cleveland. From left, front, are Darby Keith, Jami Gibson, Hannah Kalb, Ariana Kim, Bella White and Aimee Murray; and back, Kayla Gash, Elizabeth Coyle, Brittany Ballew, Kadesha Jones, Fuller, Briana Cooper, Kaylie McIllwain, Sydney Kibble and Amanda Bryant. Summer Collins, Abigail Boltniew, Andi Penner, Abbie Hicks and Haley Bishop were not present for photo.
After struggling for years to explain the program which has provided college scholarships and life-enhancing opportunities for young women since 1958, America’s Junior Miss has a new name: Distinguished Young Women. The national program is based in Mobile, Ala., where its board of directors anticipates that the new name will assure potential sponsors and contestants that it is a program designed to empower young women to reach their dreams.
“It was a thoughtful and thorough process which led the national board of directors to decide to change the organization’s name to one that describes the young women who participate. These high school girls are accomplished, intelligent, service-oriented and ambitious. The program’s scoring criteria remain the same, as do the values on which it was founded,” said Executive Director Becky Jo Peterson, former local Junior Miss.
Research shows that young women face greater challenges than ever before, and Distinguished Young Women strives to offer life skills and an outstanding experience to help young women lead successful lives.
Distinguished Young Women is the oldest and largest scholarship program for high school girls. Since its inception, the national organization has provided life-changing experiences for more than 700,000 young women. Last year Distinguished Young Women provided more than $63 million in cash and college scholarship opportunities. The past four national winners attend Northwestern, Stanford University, Harvard and Pepperdine.
Distinguished Young Women participants share the Be Your Best Self program with young people of all ages, encouraging them to stay in school, lead a healthy lifestyle and live by moral and ethical principles.
For more information about Distinguished Young Women of Cleveland (formerly Cleveland’s Junior Miss), contact Glenda Free, program chairman, at glendafree@bellsouth.net.
