Arora

Madison County’s Neha Arora was named the Distinguished Young Woman of Mississippi for 2017 Saturday night at the Temple Theater in Meridian. As Mississippi’s Distinguished Young Woman, Arora will receive a $5000 scholarship from the Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Scholarship Foundation and a $1000 scholarship from the Meridian Coca-Cola Bottlers Association. Arora, the daughter of Namita and Sumesh Arora, was also the winner of the Be Your Best Self award and the Overall Self Expression Award.

Other winners include:

CiCi Zhang of Starkville was named First Alternate and winner of a $2500 scholarship from the Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Scholarship Foundation and $200 from the Meridian Coca-Cola Bottlers Association Zhang was also the winner of the Overall Scholastic Award of $2000, sponsored by Mississippi Power Company.

Hollis Hoggard of East Jackson County was named Second Alternate and winner of a $ 1500 scholarship from the Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Scholarship Foundation and $150 from the Meridian Coca-Cola Bottlers Association. Hoggard was also winner of the Citizens National Bank Overall Fitness Award of $1000.

Cailin Sims of West Jackson County was named Third Alternate and winner of a $1500 scholarship from the Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Scholarship Foundation and $150 from the Meridian Coca-Cola Bottlers Association.

The winner of the Spirit Award was Greene County’s Charlsie Hicks, the winner of the Overall Talent award was Clinton’s Tanya Shenoy.