High school junior girls from North Forrest and Presbyterian Christian schools will join together in Hattiesburg for the Distinguished Young Women of Forrest County program to be held Saturday, March 9, at North Forrest Preforming Arts Center.
Participants will compete for more than $18,000 in college scholarships and the opportunity to represent Forrest County as Distinguished Young Woman for 2020.
The program is opened to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $10. Children five and under will be free.
The eight young women competing will be evaluated by a panel of five judges in the following categories: Scholastics (25 percent), Interview (25% percent), Talent (20 percent), Fitness (15 percent), and Self Expression (15 percent).
The participant selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Forrest County will advance to the state level in Meridian in July where she will join other representatives across the state in the 2020 Distinguished Young Women Program of Mississippi.
Distinguished Young Women of Forrest County participants include: Kloey Adams, North Forrest; Sydney Blackwell, North Forrest; Abby Hall, Presbyterian Christian; Kelli Hathorn, North Forrest; Paris Howell, North Forrest; Lainey James, Presbyterian Christian; Anna McLain, North Forrest and Savannah White, North Forrest.
Twelve high school sophomores will serve as Little Sisters to the contestants: They include Mayra Solano, Alayla Blackston, Emmy Harvey, Katelyn Duckworth, Angelic Lopez
Darbi Bass, Amiriah Stubbs, Mahogandy McNulty, Naia-leagh Winfrey, Camryn Thompson, Marissa Moody and Parry Memes.
For more information regarding Distinguished Young Women of Forrest County, please contact chairperson Deidre Edwards at forrest@distinguishedyw.org.
This years contestants are:
• Kloey Adams, the daughter of Jesse Thompson and Taqunna Adams, is interested in majoring in biology and hopes to become a pediatrician. Adams would like to attend Vanderbilt University. She is involved with church, family time, basketball, track, volleyball, reading, crocheting, drawing, shopping and singing. For her talent she will give a vocal performance to Luis Coronel.
• Sydney Blackwell, daughter of Derek and Anishka Blackwell, is a student at North Forrest. She would like to major in sports communication at Mississippi State University. Her activities and honors at NFHC include Beta Club member, 100m hurdler, triple jumper and long jumper – track and field, student council secretary. For her talent, she will hurdle to Go Speed Racer!
• Abby Hall is the daughter of Jeff and Stacey Hall . She attends Presbyterian Christian School (PCS) and has a career goal to become an optometrist after attending the University of Mississippi. Her schools activities and honors include Ace Chiefs Level 5 All-Star Competitive Cheer Team • Varsity Cheer Team • Junior Auxiliary Crown Club • Varsity Track • Venture Church Youth Ministry • Senior Beta Club • Film Club • former Forrest General Hospital Spirit Girl • former Planet Gymnastics Camp Counselor. For her talent, she will give a vocal performance to “Go Light Your World.”
• A student at North Forrest High School, Kelli Hathorn would like to pursue a degree at the University of Southern Mississippi and become a nurse practitioner certified in pediatrics. She is the daughter of Steven and Monica Hathorn. Her activities/honors include band, cheer, varsity soccer, praise dance at church, jr. usher board at church, Ivy Pearls of Hattiesburg, student council, Women in the Making at church. She will present a vocal performance to “The Climb.”
• The daughter of Cynthia Altman, Paris Howell is a student at North Forrest High School. She has plans to attend Mississippi State and become a neonatal nurse. Her school activities and honors include cheerleading, Beta, band, student council, Ivy Pearls. She will perform “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” on the flute during the talent portion of the program.
• Lainey James is the daughter of Wanda and Eric “Poncho” James and a student at Presbyterian Christian School. She hopes to become an entrepreneur after attending Belmont University. Her activities and honors include sports fishing • TOKYO Dance Company member • dance team • golf team • Instagram influencer • track team • Junior Auxiliary Crown Club • Hub City Young Life • Versus Strength & Conditioning • photography and videography. She will performance a Jazz Dance to music from James Bond.
• The daughter of Andy and Georganna McLain, Anna McLain is a student at North Forrest High School. She plans on a career as a nurse practitioner after attending William Carey University. Her school activities and honors include HOSA, active in Bible study for high school girls, student council, Eagle Ambassador, marching band/flute player, Diamond Girl (baseball manager), annual staff, BETA talent. She will give a monologue as her talent.
• Savannah White, the daughter of Eric White and Tabatha Henderson, is a student at North Forrest High School. She hopes to become a trauma surgeon following school at the University of Mississipi. Her school activities/honors include soccer, marching band and concert band. She will present an instrumental performance to “Fly Me To the Moon.”
