Maggie Hymelin of Chattanooga represented Tennessee at the Distinguished Young Women National Finals on June 24 in Mobile, Alabama, where she was named first runner-up and received a $20,000 cash scholarship.
Distinguished Young Women, by providing scholarships and developing social and leadership skills, empowers young women in their professional and personal lives, Hymelin said in a phone interview. The program encourages young women to be healthy, ambitious, engaged, responsible and studious.
Hymelin joined the program in the spring of his freshman year in 2022 after receiving encouragement from one of his teachers at Notre Dame High School. Participating in the general state program because Chattanooga lacks an established local program, Hymelin went on to compete at the state finals last summer in Cleveland, Tennessee, where she was named Tennessee’s Distinguished Young Woman.
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After being selected as a state representative, Hymelin had a year to prepare for the national finals. At the finals, the representatives from each state are judged in the categories of contestants, interview, talent, self-expression and fitness.
Hymelin has done well academically and has been a member of the Scenic City dance troupe since age 5, so the scholastics, talent and fitness categories were easier to prepare for, she said. The interview and self-expression required more work.
“I’m not a very natural speaker to say the least,” she said, “so doing those two, the interview and the self-expression, were definitely the most nerve-racking.”
To prepare for the interview and self-expression categories, which include a 10-minute interview in front of a panel of judges and a response demonstrating views on relevant topics, Hymelin worked with Karen Lawson, state chair of Distinguished Young Women of Tennessee.
“She really helped me in all the categories, but it was just self-expression and interviewing that were my weaknesses, so she really focused on those,” Hymelin said.
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Lawson’s work with Hymelin involved mock interviews and developing public speaking skills, Lawson said in a phone interview.
“We spent a lot of time building her confidence or making her feel comfortable expressing her thoughts,” Lawson said.
Lawson’s husband also helped with Hymelin’s practice.
At the national finals, Hymelin performed a dance medley to the song “I Will Always Love You,” which had special meaning for her because it was her last dance as a senior, she said. The routine also gave her a chance to showcase her personality.
“The song was really important to me because there were really soft parts where I could show my vulnerability, but there were also really striking and strong parts that showed my strong and independent nature,” she said.
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After two nights of preliminary finals, Hymelin was selected as one of the top eight contestants. After a final performance, she was selected as first runner-up. According to Hymelin, she was shocked to place so high in the competition because she went in thinking she was just lucky to be in the national program.
In addition to the $20,000 scholarship, Hymelin received two additional scholarships of $1,000 each, winning preliminary awards in the fitness and talent categories.
Hymelin will attend the University of Alabama in the fall, majoring in dance and biology with plans to pursue a career as a physician assistant, she said.
Later this month, Hymelin will return to the state program to pass on her title to Tennessee’s Next Outstanding Young Woman.
Contact Sam Still at sstill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6579.