Maura McLaughlin, Distinguished Young Woman of Forrest County, and Sophie Pitts, Distinguished Young Woman of Lamar County, will be one of 34 Mississippi high school seniors competing for more than $28,700 in college scholarships when the 2023 Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Program gets under way Thursday, July 14, in Meridian.
Maura McLaughlin
The state program, is now in its 66th year celebrating and spotlighting outstanding achievements of the state’s best and brightest high school girls. The three nights of competition at The Evangel Temple concludes on Saturday, July 16. The doors open nightly at 6:30pm and each show starts promptly at 7:30pm for the three night event.
Reserved tickets for the 2023 Distinguished Young Women Program are available for $65 for a three-night package. General admission tickets are available for $50 for a three night package, or may be purchased for individual evenings: $20, Thursday; $20, Friday; and $25, Saturday. Tickets go on sale Monday, June 27, and may be obtained by logging on www.purplepass.com/DYWMS22 or calling 601-480-3438.
“We are extremely excited about this year’s program,” said Sid Wilkinson, State Chairman of the Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Program. “This program celebrates the high achievements of today’s young women and offers them cash scholarship opportunities to further their education.”
Maura, the daughter of Loretta and Joe McLaughlin of Hattiesburg, attends Sacred Heart Catholic High School. Academic accomplishments, membership and hobbies include the following: 1st Place in State Mock Trial, 2nd and 3rd in National Powerlifting, Scholastic Golden Key, Speech and Debate Team and Theate. She plans to attend Auburn University, Texas A&M University, or Louisiana State University to pursue a career as a Chemical Engineer.
Sophie, the daughter of Lane and Kathleen Pitts of Hattiesburg, attends Oak Grove High School. Academic accomplishments, membership and hobbies include the following: DanceSouth Competition Team, Pride of Oak Grove Award, Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Class Secretary, Golden Spirits Dance Team and Junior Auxiliary Crown Club. She plans to attend the University of Mississippi to pursue a career as a Physical Therapist or Physician Assistant.
Sophie Pitts
During the week-long program in Meridian, participants are evaluated on scholastic achievement, fitness, self-expression, talent and interview. McLaughlin has chosen a Writing presentation of “Reality, a short story” for her talent, and Pitts has chosen a Lyrical Dance presentation of “Never Enough” for her talent.
The Distinguished Young Woman of Mississippi who is selected will compete in the Distinguished Young Women for 2023 finals in June of 2023, held in Mobile, Alabama. There she will compete for the opportunity to win a share of more than $100,000 in cash scholarship awards, including the $50,000 national title scholarship award.
Founded in 1958, Distinguished Young Women is a free program that encourages participants to reach their full individual potential. Our mission is to empower young women by providing over $1 billion in scholarship opportunities, developing their self-confidence and participating in our Life Skills Workshops that prepare them for success after high school. National sponsors include Barbara Barrington Jones Family Foundation, Mobile County, City of Mobile, Alabama Power Foundation, Shoe Station, Gant Travel Management, Wellington and Bonnie Coffeen, Regions Financial Corporation, Jostens and Alabama Media Group.
For more information about Distinguished Young Women, contact Tara Principe, National Headquarters Marketing and Communications Director, at 251-438-3621 or Tara@DistinguishedYW.org or visit www.DistinguishedYW.org.
