program history
1958 to 2021
Distinguished Young Women was founded in 1958 by the Mobile ( AL ) Jaycees as an outgrowth of its popular Azalea Trail Maid program . Originally called America ’ s Junior Miss , Distinguished Young Women was created as a way to meet the need for higher education scholarships for young women .
While continuing to address the need for scholarships , Distinguished Young Women also saw an opportunity to help prepare young women for success in life after high school . Many skills that help individuals be successful — how to conduct a business interview , believing that your opinions are worthy of recognition and how to speak with confidence and effectively convey your thoughts — are not taught in school . Our Life Skills Workshops begin this education . Plus , to ensure the greatest impact possible , participation in our program is always free , allowing young women of all backgrounds to be able to reap the benefits of participation .
Distinguished Young Women is proud to be the oldest and largest scholarship program in the nation for college-bound high school senior girls . Since 1958 , the program has awarded more than $ 116 million in cash scholarships at local , state , and national programs . In addition to cash scholarships , Distinguished Young Women participants are eligible for college-granted scholarships from over 100 colleges and universities across the country . Almost $ 1 billion in college scholarship opportunities were provided to the Class of 2021 , some of which included full tuition plus room and board . Many participants leave the program with scholarships , but all walk away from the experience with life skills to help them interview for jobs , develop healthy relationships and have increased confidence .
Throughout the years , Distinguished Young Women has continued to attract the nation ’ s best and brightest . More than 780,000 young women have participated in the program at the local , state and national levels . Journalist and anchor Diane Sawyer ( 1963 ), Journalist Deborah Norville ( 1975 ), Will & Grace actress Debra Messing ( 1986 ), CNN anchor Robin Meade ( 1987 ) and violinist and best-selling author Lindsey Stirling ( 2005 ) are a few of the program ’ s celebrity faces . Distinguished Young Women is proud to have helped these women on their road to success and is equally proud of the thousands of other past participants who have achieved success through a vast number of careers , such as Dr . Linda Rutledge Delbridge ( 1973 ), vice-president at IBM ; Marlo Graves ( 1990 ), Shuttle Integration Group Engineer for Boeing ; pediatrician Dr . Susan Davidson ( 1998 ); and Sruthi Palaniappan ( 2016 ), the youngest delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention and former student body President at Harvard College .
Distinguished Young Women continues because of the hard work and dedication of more than 10,000 volunteers throughout the nation . These individuals devote countless hours to planning , funding and executing local , state and national programs . A board of directors including civic , business and professional leaders governs the national nonprofit corporation . These volunteers are committed to providing opportunities to young women who have achieved excellence in their high school careers . Thanks to dedicated volunteers and support from the Mobile community , Distinguished Young Women continues to impact the lives of thousands of young women across the country .
LEFT TO RIGHT , TOP TO BOTTOM : 1 . Phyllis Whitenack ( WV ) was the first national representative in 1958 . 2 . The Class of 1963 takes part in the Youth Fitness . In the center is Diane Sawyer , Kentucky and America ’ s Junior Miss for that year . 3 . The Tonight Show ’ s Ed McMahon served as host of the program in 1980 . 4 . Kim Smith ( NC ) was the first America ’ s Junior Miss to receive a medallion instead of a crown in 1981 . 5 . Tyrenda Williams , America ’ s Junior Miss for 1997 , spreads the message of the Be Your Best Self . 6 . The Class of 2001 Has Beens perform . 7 . Madison Leonard of Idaho was named the first Distinguished Young Women of America in 2010 . 8 . A participant in the local Charleston County ( SC ) program takes part in a Life Skills Workshop in 2015 .