Distinguished Young Women heading to state competition

PULLMAN - Mattawa's Marivel Nevarez and Royal City's Jennifer Valentine will be among 17 seniors competing for the title of Distinguished Young Woman of Washington State in Pullman on Saturday, Aug. 1.

Nevarez and Valentine are the DYW of their communities, selected during DYW programs by a panel of judges. The teens will arrive Tuesday, July 28, to begin practicing several stage routines that will highlight the 7 p.m. program Aug. 1 at the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum.

More than $10,000 in college scholarships will be awarded at the state program.

The panel of judges will include: Lynn Bruce, of LaCrosse,whose daughters competed in past local programs; Julie Stonecipher-Yokel, Walla Walla, Washington's winner and the first runner-at the national program in 1968; Wendy Brenan of Katy, Texas, a past program participant; Victor Renard, of Kennewick, whose daughter, Nicole, was Washington's winner and national program winner in 2013; and Vera Powell of Deer Park, whose daughter, Kristi, was the state winner in 1988. Powell also served for several years as the state program chairman.

According to program co-chair Danielle Kallaher, each participant will perform a talent number and participate in fitness and self-expression routines during the evening program. The teens will meet individually with judges earlier.

Besides Valentine and Nevarez, the program will include Andrea Raye Olson, Almira-Coulee-Hartline (ACH); Merideth Kirry, Chewelah; Teresa Eggleston, Clarkston; Sarah Appel, Colfax; Zoe Moser, Colton-Uniontown; Madelyn Fletcher, Ellensburg; Tessa Hassinger, Leavenworth; Sariah Aronsohn, Moses Lake; Gabrielle Reavis, Newman Lake; Hailey Weed, North Bend; Olivia Giles, Othello; Linda Zhang, Pullman; Haley McRae; Republic; Hallie Jo Galbreath, Ritzville; and Taylor Yamane, Warden.

Tickets are available through TicketsWest outlets and at the door the evening of the program.

This is the state's 58th annual scholarship program. Its goal is to emphasize education by providing scholarship opportunities to outstanding college-bound high school girls, and to encourage personal development in all young people, Kallaher said.

Founded in 1958 in Mobile, Alabama, Distinguished Young Women is the largest and oldest national scholarship program for high school girls. It has provided life-changing experiences for more than 740,000 young women.