Local Young Women Advancing to Maryland Distinguished Young Women

On February 19, 2011, the Greater Waldorf Jaycees hosted the Southern Maryland Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program for young women from Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties.  The Southern Maryland Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program is an official preliminary of America’s Distinguished Young Women (DYW), the oldest and largest scholarship program for high school senior females of its type. 

 

Founded in 1958 in Mobile, Alabama, Distinguished Young Women has provided life-changing experiences for more than 200,000 young women and more than $3.3 million in cash scholarships at the National Finals alone, and more than $92 million at local, state and national programs combined.  The program also works with colleges and universities across the nation to provide opportunities for participants to further their education. Program participants are eligible for college-granted scholarships from nearly 200 colleges and universities, and more are coming on board each year.  Last year, Distinguished Young Women provided more than $58 million in cash and college scholarship opportunities. 

 

In addition to providing scholarships, DYW challenges each participant to share its national outreach program, Be Your Best Self (BYBS), with young people across the nation.  Through BYBS, DYW encourage self esteem and excellence in all young people through the program’s five principles: Be healthy, Be Involved, Be Studious, Be Ambitious, and Be Responsible.

 

Southern Maryland’s Distinguished Young Woman is Sierra Terrell, a junior at North Point High School, who also won the talent category of the program.  Sierra, the daughter of Patricia Terrell, is on the D.I.V.A.S Dance Team, is captain of the North Point Poms Team, and is a member of Julie Rayle’s Dance Studio, the Light House Baptist Church Dance Ministry, and the Future Business Leaders of America.  She is on the Principal/High Honor Roll at North Point, and has received both the Coach’s Award and Academic/Athletic Varsity Letters.  In her spare time, she volunteers at the Clark Senior Center, and enjoys dancing, reading, and hanging out with her friends.  When she graduates, Sierra plans to attend Penn State University to pursue a degree in Psychiatry

 

Chesapeake’s Distinguished Young Woman is Emily Richey-Smith, a junior at Kings Christian Academy, who also won the scholastic and interview categories of the p