Tag- DYW
Karlie O’Connell
After months of rehearsal and a date change due to weather, junior Jenna Watson walked away with the 2026 Distinguished Young Woman of George County title on March 16.
Not only the overall winner, Watson won the Jackie Valentine Family Memorial Interview Scholarship and the self-expression competition with cash scholarships totalling $9,500.
Jordyn Bradley was selected as first alternate, and she also won the fitness and scholastic competitions. Ella Dean won the Be Your Best Self award, talent, and the Carolyn Cowart Elsteroth Memorial Scholarship. Lucy Jackson won Spirit of Junior Miss and Camilla Cristobal won the John Sims Visionary Scholarship and Excellence Scholarship.
Each contestant was judged in the following categories: judges interview 25 percent; scholastic achievement 25 percent; talent 20 percent; self expression 15 percent and fitness 15 percent.
Each of the winners also received $256,000 distributed amongst the five of them as a scholarship to University of Mobile.
“I’m very grateful to become a winner. I’m very glad that I was able to be blessed with this opportunity and all these beneficial things, and honestly I’m very grateful for it,” Watson said.
Some of the contestants particularly enjoyed the fitness portion of the competition.
“Contrary to what most believe, I actually thought that the fitness portion was pretty fun even though the push-ups were horrible,” Jackson said.
“DYW was super fun, and so was the fitness routine,” Cristobal said.
Each of the contestants had their own reason to participate, but two stuck out.
“Most of my family have been oriented around DYW for a very long time. My grandparents used to do all the filming for DYW for about 10 to 15 years for Greene County, and it was just something to be a very beneficial experience,” Watson said.
“I’ve always wanted to do it, and I’ve always watched everybody growing up do it, so I said why not,” Bradley said.
The girls encourage everyone to try it even if they do not believe that it would be good for them.
“I think DYW was super fun, super entertaining, and really helped me grow as a person. I would do it 10 times over again,” Cristobal said.
“I would encourage anybody who’s thinking about joining DYW please join because it’s a good experience,” Jackson said.
“DYW was such a fun and great experience and I’m so glad I got to experience it with such great young women,” Dean said.
The winner Jenna Watson will be competing for the DYW State Title this July in Meridian.
