Distinguished Young Women awards Class of 2020 candidates

HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Since 1960, Cullman County’s Junior Miss program has aided the national Junior Miss program in awarding millions of dollars in scholarships to high school girls. Now known as the Distinguished Young Women program, representatives from each state compete nationally to become the Distinguished Young Woman of America and tour the country promoting the program’s Be Your Best Self platform. However, before the state representatives can be sent to the National Finals, they must be chosen from representatives from each county in the state, and Cullman County’s state representative for 2020 was crowned Saturday afternoon.

The judging standards for the selection process are comprised of five different categories: 

• Scholastic Achievement (25%) – the judges review and evaluate the contestants’ transcripts of grades in core classes, college prep classes, electives and scores on scholastic tests and college entrance exams 
• Judges’ Interview (25%) – contestants have a ten-minute interview and discussion with the panel of judges in which the judges look for perception, a sense of values, clarity of expression, concern for others and ability in human relations
• Talent (20%) – contestants are judged on originality, technical ability, appropriateness of selection and costume and stage presentation
• Self-Expression (15%) – contestants are judged on their elements of grace, poise under pressure, ability to communicate effectively, grooming and naturalness of posture and carriage; this portion includes a question that the contestants must prepare an answer for, and this program’s question was “Does social media bring people together or drive them apart?”
• Fitness (15%) – contestants perform a choreographed fitness routine and are judged on coordination, stamina, agility, posture and carriage without regard to physique or athleticism

While all of these are considered for the winner and first runner-up, awards are also given out for the girls who top each category. Additionally, two more awards are given for Spirit and the best Be Your Best Self essay. This year’s Distinguished Young Woman of Cullman County will compete at the state level in Montgomery on January 10-18, 2020. The state winner will travel to the National Finals in Mobile, AL, in June 2020.

Persons of note for the county program included emcees Laura Evans and Madeline McNutt, choreographer Jessica Patterson, Nohealani Naehu from Factory Dance Productions (who provided a special entertainment feature before the intermission), the judges (listed below), and Abigail Long, the 2019 Distinguished Young Woman of Cullman County. Almost all persons of note have been previous contestants or winners of Junior Miss/DYW programs. Each of this year’s contestants also brought their DYW “Little Sisters” – friends who they believe could be potential DYW contestants in the future – to help introduce them during the talent portion.

THE JUDGES

• Miranda Hornsby, Birmingham physician
• Whitley Kelley, genetic counselor at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville
• Melinda Williams, Learning & Development Specialist at Birmingham insurance brokerage firm McGriff, Seibels & Williams
• Donna Bagwell, chair of Shelby County DYW program and commercial real estate CPA
• Amy Tully, Interventional Cardiac Research coordinator for UAB and board member of multiple artistic and scholarship boards in Birmingham
• Courtney Shields (scholastic judge), University of North Alabama Admissions
• Taya Beth Sockwell (scholastic judge), University of North Alabama Admissions

THE CONTESTANTS

THE AWARDS

Each of the monetary awards is a tuition scholarship toward the contestant’s college of choice.