Ten outstanding young women, all high school juniors, will compete at the Coweta County Centre for Performing and Visual Arts for the title of 2013 Coweta County Distinguished Young Woman on Sunday, April 15, and for a chance to win a portion of the more than $4,000 to be awarded in college scholarships.
Awards are held in trust and disbursed to the winning contestants’ school of choice upon their graduation. In addition to cash and college-granted scholarships, representatives will receive a medallion to symbolize their achievements in the classroom, extracurricular activities and community involvement.
Annette Todd, program chair of Coweta County’s Distinguished Young Women (DYW) Program (formerly America’s Junior Miss) and herself a former Junior Miss title winner, is an ardent supporter of the organization and annual event.
“This enriching experience affects thousands of women nationwide each year. They become teachers, business owners, doctors, lawyers, mothers, and community leaders,” said Todd. “As these participating girls — all of them winners — go through the program and later reach their full potential through continued education, they rejoin our home community with concern and enthusiasm to pay it forward.”
The DYW program encourages increases self-confidence, and teaches participants how to interview effectively, speak to the public, perform on stage, and build interpersonal relationships — all important life skills.
2013 Coweta County DYW contestants are: Chelsea Barbee (East Coweta High School), Gretchen Hauser (Northgate High School), Ashley Jackson (East Coweta High School), Whitney Kirkpatrick (Newnan High School), Lindy Long (Landmark Christian School), Haley Potter (Northgate High School), Kelsie McDuffie (Northgate High School), Alona Sanders (Newnan High School), Melinda Smith (Newnan High School), and Avery Weatherford (Northgate High School).
Scoring and awards will be based upon categories including academic achievement, physical fitness, on-stage performance skills, and the ability to think and communicate clearly.
From among the full group of local event participants, two young women will be chosen to represent Coweta County at the Georgia State Program in July 2012.
Special entertainment for the April 15 event will be provided by Coweta County 2012 DYW representatives, Elizabeth Domzalski and Iliana Garcia; Georgia’s Distinguished Young Woman for 2012 Mary-Clayton Gilbert, and students of Star Dance Studio.
The public is cordially invited to attend and support this exciting showcase of talent. Doors open at The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts (1523 Lower Fayetteville Rd., Newnan) at 3:30, and the program begins at 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door, and all proceeds benefit Coweta County’s chapter of Distinguished Young Women.
Distinguished Young Women embraces diversity by seeking volunteers and contestants from all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.
For more information or to invite Annette Todd to speak with your civic or community group about the Distinguished Young Women Program, contact her at atodd@numail.org or see the Distinguished Young Women website at www.distinguishedyw.org.
