Twenty-nine high school seniors vie for DYWM title
Published 3:23 pm Friday, July 7, 2023
- Makayla Fowler, Stone CountyHigh School: Stone High SchoolCareer goal: Dermatology nurse practitionerCollege choice: University of Southern Mississippi or University of South AlabamaTalent: Jazz dance presentation, “Thunderstruck” by ACDCParents: Eugene and Barbara Fowler
Twenty-nine high school seniors from across the state will compete for more than $33,000 in college scholarships when the 2024 Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Program gets under way Thursday in Meridian.
Now in its 67th year, the Distinguished Young Women Program aims to celebrate and spotlight outstanding achievements of some of the state’s brightest high school girls. The three nights of competition, to be held at The Evangel Temple, will conclude on Saturday, July 15. Doors will open nightly at 6:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with each show starting promptly at 7:30 p.m.
“We are extremely excited about this year’s program,” said Sid Wilkinson, state chairman of the Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Program. “This program celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of high school women and offers them cash scholarship opportunities to further their education.”
During the week-long program in Meridian, participants are evaluated on scholastic achievement, fitness, self-expression, talent and interview.
The overall titleholder named to represent the state as the Distinguished Young Woman of Mississippi will go on to compete in the national Distinguished Young Women of 2024 finals to be held next June in Mobile, Alabama. There she will compete for the opportunity to win a share of more than $100,000 in cash scholarship awards, including the $40,000 national title scholarship award.
The Distinguished Young Women Program was founded in 1958 with a mission to empower young women by providing over $1 billion in scholarship opportunities, developing their self-confidence and participating in Life Skills Workshops that prepare them for success after high school. National sponsors include Barbara Barrington Jones Family Foundation, Mobile County, City of Mobile, Alabama Power Foundation, Shoe Station, Gant Travel Management, Wellington and Bonnie Coffeen, Regions Financial Corporation, Jostens and Alabama Media Group.
Reserved tickets for the 2024 Distinguished Young Women Program at the Evangel Temple are available for $65 for a three-night package. General admission tickets are available for $50 for a three-night package, or tickets may be purchased for individual evenings at $20 each for Thursday and Friday nights and $25 for Saturday. Tickets may be obtained by logging onto www.purplepass.com/dywofms or calling 601-480-3438.
