The Distinguished Young Women competition is an annual program that recognizes young women in their junior year of high school by evaluating participants across multiple categories and awarding scholarships. At the local level, the competition includes several scoring sections including Scholastics, Interview, Talent, Fitness, and Self-Expression. All of these categories are the deciding factors that will set the well-rounded contestants apart from the rest. 

This year the DYW competition for both Elm Grove and Brookfield took place on January 10th, bringing together 30+ students to participate in the show. From the audience, the event was not only a competition, but also a showcase of confidence and growth. Being an audience member on both nights, I enjoyed watching my peers do well on stage and express their best selves in front of a large crowd. Seeing a variety of talents and hearing the different responses to tricky questions during the Self-Expression category made the program engaging to watch as a whole. It was clear that each contestant had brought her own strengths to the stage. 

This year, the show ran throughout three nights, with the first night occupied by interviews of the contestants while the other two nights were split up between focusing on the Elm Grove and Brookfield districts. On the second night, the title of Elm Grove Distinguished Young Women of the Class of 2027 was awarded to Anna Ewig, and on the third night the title for Brookfield Distinguished Young Women was awarded to Lucia Brewer. 

The DYW program continued to show the local tradition of celebrating the various talents and self-confidence every contestant had. The competition served as a reminder of the talent and potential present within the high school community!