By Abigail Kim

Junior Savanna Kimball was selected as one of the finalists for the Distinguished Young Women (DYW) scholarship program. This prestigious program is one of the oldest and largest national scholarship programs for high school girls. It aims to empower young women to reach their full potential by providing scholarships, personal development opportunities, and a positive peer network. At the local, state, and national levels, DYW rewards high school girls for their talents and academic achievements as they seek to pursue higher levels of education. 

Since 1958, DYW has offered benefits to over 780,000 young women and awarded more than $118 million in cash scholarships.  

Kimball learned about the program through her Speech teammate Angela Yang, the previous winner, and representative for North Los Angeles. Despite having no prior experience in such a program, Kimball was intrigued by the prospect and decided to apply for the opportunity. 

“I had never heard of DYW, but after visiting their website I was intrigued,” Kimball said. “I have never participated in anything similar to this program, but it sounded like it would be a fun experience and an amazing opportunity!” 

The initial application process to participate in the program involved several procedures, including filling out forms about one’s hobbies and interests along with submitting transcripts. All of these items were evaluated under the scholastics portion of the competition. 

“The scholastics portion of the program was evaluated prior to the day of the program,” Kimball said. “I was given points based on the courses I was taking, my grades, standardized test scores, and my academic extracurriculars.”

On the day of the program, participants were then evaluated under four of the following categories: Talent, Self-Expression, Fitness, and Interview. For the talent category, Kimball performed a 90-second dramatic monologue. The self-expression category required Kimball to formulate a 30-second response to a given prompt the night before the program. The fitness section included a choreographed group routine, while the interview section required a private interview with the judges. 

Kimball expressed her immense excitement and enthusiasm for being selected as one of the three North Los Angeles representatives as well as the chance to compete in the state competition during the summer. Aside from the sheer excellence of the program, Kimball also was able to gain an amazing experience in which she was able to connect with a community of like-minded women. 

Looking forward, Kimball plans to continue preparing for the state competition by practicing her public speaking and interviewing skills, refining her talents, and training for the fitness section. As a representative for North Los Angeles, Kimball also offers advice to young women and students alike.  

“I would advise young women to believe in themselves,” said Kimball. “As women in society, we are often assigned a certain role or told how we should or shouldn’t act. I would encourage young women to push the boundaries and pursue their goals.”

All in all, Kimball’s journey throughout the Distinguished Young Women program is a testament to her dedication, talent, and resilience as not only a student but a woman. Best of luck to her in the upcoming state competition!