Julien Bynum of SPHS had the honor to represent Marion County in the Distinguished Young Women of Tennessee program in July.  She spent a busy week in Cleveland, Tennessee, along with other young women from various areas of the State, getting to know each other, rehearsing, serving the Cleveland community and participating in workshops that promoted being their best selves.  Distinguished Young Women's mission is to empower young women to develop their full, individual potential by providing scholarships, personal development opportunities and a positive peer network.  The DYW program began as America's Jr. Miss in 1958, making it the oldest and largest national scholarship program in the country.  Participants at local, State and National levels compete in the categories of Interview (25%), Scholastics (25%), Talent (20%), Fitness (15%), and Self-Expression (15%).  At the end of the week on July 19 and 20, the young women participating in Tennessee's DYW program took part in individual interviews and were then showcased in live performances in three categories. Scholastics were scored from previous submissions of high school transcripts.  At the end of the program, Julien had placed in all 5 categories before being named Distinguished Young Woman of Tennessee for the class of 2025.  She is the first Marion County representative in the history of the program to be granted this honor. When asked what she thought about being named as Tennessee's Distinguished Young Woman 2025, Julien said, "I am so honored to be the first winner from Marion County and I am also so thankful for all the Marion County state representatives who came before me that paved the way.  If it were not for all of the people throughout my life who encouraged me to be a part of the Distinguished Young Women Program, of which many participated in the State program themselves, I would have never known about this amazing opportunity or I may have not had the courage to try it. I am also overwhelmed with emotions from the outpouring of love from our entire community.  I would like to thank everyone for their support. It means so much!"  

 

The Distinguished Young Women of Marion County program is in the Spring of each year and is open to any junior girl who resides in Marion County, TN.