beyond
beautiful
The Distinguished Young Women program and pageants
like Miss Alabama USA are recognizing far more than physical beauty
and rewarding their winners with a lot more than a crown.
“There she is.
Miss America
There she is, your ideal.”
Hearing these iconic words sung while they wave, smile and cry just
seconds after a glittering tiara has been set lightly upon their head
has been the dream of millions of girls for decades. But today, Miss
America is only one of many pageants out there; the Distinguished
Young Women program is another major one (formerly Junior
Miss). And the pageant scene has changed dramatically through the
years.
Over-emphasis on faces and figures has been on the decline for
a while, and in its place is a focus on philanthropy, leadership and
academic excellence. A pretty smile and the right talent still matter,
but they no longer over shadow the importance of inner beauty.
And the prize of many pageants is not the crown itself, or even the
prestige: it’s skills learned and honed, people met and friendships
forged and scholarship money for college earned.
By Jennifer Kornegay
Images courtesy of Nikki P. Photography
and Ryan Miles, Sage Media Group.
RIGHT: Sarah-Baskin Champion, Miss Alabama Teen USA
22
Poise & Polish
One of the most popular and prestigious pageants in our state is
actually no longer called a pageant. But the Distinguished Young
Women (DYW) program, formerly Junior Miss, still draws some
of Alabama’s best and brightest girls each year. The Local Chairwoman for Le