BEDFORD – The Lawrence County Distinguished Young Woman Program is a scholarship program for high school senior women in Lawrence County. All high school senior women are invited and encouraged to participate in this year’s program to build leadership skills, improve public speaking, and earn college scholarship funds while getting to know young ladies with similar aspirations and goals from across the county. The Class of 2026 participants will have a few practices from November 9th-November 13th. The program will be held in the PAC at BNL on Saturday, November 15th at 6 p.m. The public, families and friends are strongly encouraged to attend. Admission is $5.00.
The DYW program, formerly known as Junior Miss, is a competition comprised of scholastics (25%), an interview (25%), creative and performing arts, a 90-second on stage display (20%), a short fitness routine (15%), and self-expression on stage (15%). The DYW program is a nationwide program that has expended millions of dollars in supporting high school senior women with scholarship funds to attend higher education. The Lawrence County DYW will compete with fellow Indiana County/regional winners at Indiana’s DYW in Kokomo, Indiana in February 2026. America’s DYW will be held in Mobile, Alabama in June 2026.
Lawrence County has had many place holders at Indiana’s DYW (formerly known ast Junior Miss), and has had one state winner. Our reigning distinguished young woman for the Class of 2025 is Francesca Orozco. Francesca who graduated valedictorian from BNL, a high school scholar athlete, plans to attend the University of Miami in Florida and subsequently get her law degree.
High school senior girls are encouraged to seek out more information at BNL and MHS from the administration and/or counseling departments. All applications shall be submitted to Anah Gouty at anah.h.gouty@gmail.com no later than Friday, October 24, 2025.
