Distinguished Young Women program promotes and rewards scholarship, leadership and talent in high school girls
Mobile, Ala. (June 10, 2015) – Sophia Inaba of Cartersville, Ga. will travel to Mobile, Ala. on Sunday, June 14 to participate in the 58th Distinguished Young Women National Finals to be held June 25, 26 and 27 at the Mobile Civic Center Theater. Inaba is one of 50 state representatives competing for a share of $150,000 in cash scholarships and the opportunity to represent the program as the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2015.
Following her selection as the Distinguished Young Woman of Georgia, Inaba began preparations for the National Finals competition, which will include five categories of evaluation: scholastics (20%), interview (25%), fitness (15%), talent (25%) and self-expression (15%). During her two weeks in Mobile, Inaba will participate in team building activities, complete community service projects, interact with the Gulf Coast community through various events and engage in many hours of rehearsal in preparation for the three night scholarship competition.
“We are delighted to have fifty of the best young women that America has to offer to come to our city to participate in the 58th National Finals,” said Pam Patterson, Executive Director for Distinguished Young Women. “Mobile always opens its arms and welcomes these young ladies into their hearts and their homes. Sunday will be a great day as we meet these gifted individuals and begin our journey toward selecting the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2015.”
If selected as the program’s overall winner, Inaba will spend the next year representing Distinguished Young Women across the country through various appearances and promoting the program’s national outreach initiative of “Be Your Best Self.” The outreach program is designed to combat major issues facing children today including childhood obesity and high school drop out rates, as well as encourage young people to take an active interest in their communities through service. The outreach program consists of five elements – Be Healthy, Be Involved, Be Studious, Be Ambitious and Be Responsible.
Inaba is a 2015 graduate of Woodland High School and the daughter of Fujiko and Mike Inaba.
To view the live webcast of the Distinguished Young Women National Finals, visit www.DistinguishedYW.org on Saturday, June 27 at 7 p.m. CST. To see photos of participants during their time in Mobile, visit www.fpvision.com.
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 its 58 years of operation, the program has provided life-changing experiences for more than 740,000 young women. Last year, Distinguished Young Women provided more than $402 million 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 its 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, The Hearin-Chandler Foundation, Encore Rehabilitation, Alabama Power Foundation, Master Boat Builders, Barbara Barrington Jones Family Foundation, Regions Financial Corporation, and Alabama Media Group.
For more information about Distinguished Young Women, contact Megan Arendall, National Headquarters Communications Director (251-438-3621, Megan@DistinguishedYW.org) or visit www.DistinguishedYW.org. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The official Distinguished Young Women hashtag for the 58th National Finals is #DYW2015.