This year's Distinguished Young Women of DeKalb finalists

By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor

tyler@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala. — The DeKalb County chapter of Distinguished Young Women has announced it’s finalists for the title of 2017 Distinguished Young Woman of DeKalb County. This year’s four participants are: Karstin Brewis, Alexis Chambers, and Collyn Davis from Fort Payne, and Aubrey Traffanstedt from Collinsville.

The DeKalb County Chapter of Distinguished Young Women (DYW) is comprised of a board of directors that visits each school and recruits high school juniors that are interested. Applicants meet over the summer, raise money, do community service projects, and learn the routines needed for the program. 

The five elements of the competition include an interview with a panel of judges, scholastics, self-expression, talent, and fitness. This year’s program will be Saturday, August 13 at 5:00 pm in the Tom Bevill Lyceum on the campus of Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC). Admission will be $5 and program books will be $5.

Ashleigh Gwarjanski of Fort Payne currently holds the title of DYW of DeKalb 2016. Gwarjanski represented DeKalb County in Montgomery last January in the state competition, and won a scholastic preliminary award. Each year the Distinguished Young Woman of DeKalb competes in Montgomery for the title of Distinguished Young Woman of Alabama. This year’s state competition will take place on January 20-21, 2017.

Director of the DYW DeKalb County Chapter, Devin Bouldin promotes the program, organizes the competition, and helps decide the winner.

“The program is a great opportunity for the girls to get to know other girls from across the country they otherwise wouldn’t normally meet,” Bouldin said, “Distinguished Young Women creates lifelong friendships while providing scholarship opportunities for the participants.”

“I want to thank all of the businesses that support us each year because without them, we wouldn’t have a program. I also want to thank all the board members for their hard work and dedication to this program,” Bouldin added.

For more information on the program or how you can get involved, contact program director Devin Bouldin at dekalb@distinguishedyw.org.

“Like” their Facebook page by searching “Distinguished Young Women of DeKalb County.”

About Distinguished Young Women:

Founded in 1958 in Mobile, Alabama, Distinguished Young Women is the largest and oldest national scholarship program for high school girls. During it’s 59 years of operation, the program has provided  life-changing experiences for more than 745,000 young women.

Last year, Distinguished Young Women provided more than $1.1 billion in cash and college scholarship opportunities to program participants. At the local, state, and national level. Previously known as America’s Junior Miss, the program announced it’s new name in June 2010.

The mission of Distinguished Young Women is to positively impact the lives of young women by providing a transformative experience that promotes and rewards scholarship, leadership, and talent.

National sponsors include Mobile County, City of Mobile, Wintzell’s Oyster House, Alabama Power Foundation, Master Boat Builders, Barbara Barrington Jones Family Foundation, Encore Rehabilitation, Regions Financial Corporation, the State of Alabama Tourism Department and Alabama RC&D Council.

You can find out more about the national organization by visiting their website at http://www.distinguishedyw.org.