Distinguished Young Women is a national non-profit scholarship organization that allows high school girls to showcase their abilities in scholarship, leadership, and talent. Local competitions (based on residential area) are held in December; this year’s Distinguished Young Woman of Brookfield was Ellie Kumer (‘19). Amy Keane (‘19) participated in the at-large competition earning the title of Distinguished Young Woman of Waukesha.

Both girls proceeded to DYW State, and it is with great pride that Brookfield Central can announce that the 2019 Distinguished Young Woman of Wisconsin is Amy Keane. DYW State was held on August 11 at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, and the competition featured six representative winners from their respective counties.

The girls were hosted by the McArdle family in Brookfield. Throughout the week before the state competition, the competitors had to participate in planned activities. “We had rehearsal almost every day to prepare for the opening and closing numbers and fitness, but all the girls were dancers, so we all caught on quickly,” claimed state winner, Amy Keane. She continued stating,“We also did a lot of community service. One day we went to the Boys and Girls Club in Milwaukee and did a presentation for the kids and taught them about the DYW “Be Your Best Self” outreach program.”

The participants also volunteered at Feeding America, packaging over 7,000 pounds of food, making over 8,000 meals. Keane(‘19) stated that the girls participated in “life skill” workshops and activities that helped the girls learn important tasks such as CPR, personal finance, and personal grooming.

“At the beginning of the week [most of the] girls were very quiet, and it was extremely awkward,” Keane laughed, “[By] the end of the week they opened up, and we all ended up being really good friends.” Keane also stated, “the best part of the week was getting to know all of the people involved. The week was made possible because of all of the past DYW people from the community who came back and volunteered their time and resources to help out. I was able to make so many great memories while gaining a lot of life skills and great advice from some amazing role models.”

Recently, Keane went to a workshop in Utah to prepare herself for Nationals. There, she was able to meet one of her role models, Elizabeth Smart, an author and an advocate against child abduction and sexual assault. Keane also participated in a mock interview with a panel of judges and reviewed her talent routine. As Keane concluded, she encouraged girls to participate in the Distinguished Young Women program: “It has been a really positive and impactful experience for me, and I would encourage all girls going into their junior year to participate!”