BROWNSTOWN
Thirteen contestants. More than $13,000 in scholarship money available.
The 2022 Jackson County Distinguished Young Women contest starts at 6 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium at Brownstown Central High School, 500 N. Elm St., Brownstown.
The high school senior girls competing are Morgan Branaman and Addie Shelton of Brownstown Central High School, Kaylyn Holman, Kennadi Lakins, Kiarra Lakins and Ella Plasse of Crothersville High School, Madalyn Baurle, Katie Deppen, Mary Higdon, Lexi Morris and Valeria Ramirez of Seymour High School and Addison Bumbleburg and Sarah Lemming of Trinity Lutheran High School.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any of the contestants or at the door. The public is invited but should maintain social distancing between families. Last year’s contest was limited to two guests per contestant due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Considering organizers Barb Leffler and Jamie Temple weren’t able to visit schools to promote the program, they were happy to wind up with 13 participants — the most in their five years at the helm.
Leffler said information was shared with school counselors, and the 2021 county winner, Abby Stuckwisch, posted informational videos on Facebook and Instagram.
“I think word is getting out more now that we’ve kind of built it back up and got it going,” Temple said.
The contestants will be evaluated by a panel of judges in the following categories: Scholastics (25%), interview (25%), talent (20%), fitness (15%) and self-expression (15%).
While scholarship money can be earned by winning one of the categories, only one will take home the largest prize and overall title.
During three-hour practices this week, the contestants learned a group fitness routine, which also includes time for each of the girls to come forward and display their skills.
The contestants also are practicing their individual talents and self-expression. The latter involves answering a question on the spot.
With scholastics, the judges will be given access to the contestants’ school transcripts to determine their overall scholastic ability. Then the interviews will be done Saturday afternoon.
“I think they’ve done very well. They’ve really caught on,” Leffler said of how practices have gone this week.
“They really feed off each other,” Temple said. “This is a great group, great representation from all of the different schools, which we love to have.”
Also, a people’s choice award will return this year. That honor gives attendees a chance to vote for their favorite contestant and donate money to the program.
Donations from businesses, organizations, industries and individuals are still being accepted so more scholarship money can be presented to the winners. Checks may be mailed to DYW, P.O. Box 2, Seymour, IN 47274.
“We’re super excited, super proud and we’re very thankful that the community has continued to grow and show us support because we started this together five years ago and we were scrounging to get donations,” Temple said. “It was hard to get it back up, and to be where we’re at today is just phenomenal. Our goal is always to get $10,000, so the fact that we’ve gone over that this year just blows us away.”
Being able to give the seniors an opportunity to bond, share an experience, work hard and earn some money for college is the best part, Temple said.
“We hope (the strong support) continues because it all goes to them. It all goes to the girls,” she said.
The winner of the county contest will advance to the state competition in February in Kokomo, where she will vie for the opportunity to represent the state as the Distinguished Young Woman of Indiana for 2022.
That winner will move on to the 65th Distinguished Young Women National Finals in June in Mobile, Alabama. There, she will join 50 other representatives from across the country in competing for cash scholarships and the opportunity to represent the program as the Distinguished Young Woman of America.
The program is in its 27th year in Jackson County, starting as the Jackson County Junior Miss scholarship program.