Every year, Portage holds a scholarship program for Junior girls called Distinguished Young Woman, or DYW, giving participants the opportunity to earn scholarships and strengthen and create friendships.
“DYW is a program that fortifies friendships between the girls in their class and gives them a chance to really get to know the girl they sat next to in class but never really became friends with,” last year’s winner, Erin Lichnerowicz said.
The program is judged in multiple categories. 25% of the final score comes from an interview each girl had with a judge, 25% comes from a performed’ talent, 20% comes from scholastic achievement, 15% comes from fitness and 15% comes from self-expression.
“When people think of DYW they think pageant with poise and swimsuits and cheesy recited answers of ‘world peace,’ but it’s anything but.” Lichnerowicz explained. “It’s a chance for girls to show their academic success, their talents and their uniqueness.”
This year, Portage’s Distinguished Young Woman program was held on Saturday the 24 of May in the East Auditorium of the high school. The event started at 7:30 and went until 10:00. After the competition concluded, a banquet was held for DYW participants and audience members to gather and congratulate this year’s DYW.
All of this years’ participants danced together to a choreographed routine to “We Are Family” to start the event. Then, DYW sponsor Carrie Martin gave a speech followed by a parade of all the young women.
After the parade, the top 12 finalists were announced. The finalists all took the stage to perform a fitness routine to the song “Safe and Sound.”
"My job has been to choreograph the opening number for the final night’s performance and to offer moral support to the girls, encouragement, and assistance in refining their talents and stage presence,” Lichnerowicz said.
When the fitness routine ended, the judges for this year’s competition were introduced. Judging the pageant were Amanda Alasauskas, Chris Broughman, Lisa Ford, Jennifer Fultz and Tana Jackson. Following the introduction PHS Principal Caren Swickard addressed the audience. Then, the finalists took the stage again to show off their talents.
The night featured singing, dancing, tumbling and more. Each girl had a short amount of time to show off her specific talents.
To start up the second half of the show, PHS’s 2014 Outstanding Young Man Matt Bliss and First Finalist Tep Junyard escorted the girls up to the microphone so that they could share what they felt the definition of success was, and how they could tell they’ve achieved it.
Finally, presentations were given by a few girls. Desire’ Rodriquez, Jamila White, Jomari Miranda, Lichnerowicz and Stewart all performed. Then a slide show full of pictures of Lichnerowicz growing up was shown to the audience. After the slide show, Lichnerowicz gave a speech to the finalists.
Next, awards were given out. There was an award called the Hanley Award and the Stevens Award given, followed by a Spirit of Distinguished Young Woman Award. The, the Fourth Runner Up, Third Runner Up, Second Runner Up and First Runner Up were announced.
Then it was time to announce the winner of the 2015 DYW title. This year, winning the title of Portage’s Distinguished Young Woman was Mariah Blackwell.