Crystal Lake Teen Competes in Distinguished Young Women of Illinois Competition

A young woman from Crystal Lake will compete in the 56th Annual Distinguished Young Women of Illinois scholarship competition on Sunday.

Johanna Sveden will compete against eight other high school seniors from across the state in the 56th Annual Distinguished Young Women of Illinois scholarship competition on Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Timbers of Shorewood, 1100 North River Rd.

The program - formerly known as Illinois' Junior Miss - takes place at 2:30 p.m. Contestants will be evaluated in the categories of scholastics, interview, talent, fitness, and self-expression.

The other young women competing for the 2013 scholarship program are:

• April Butcher, of Bolingbrook
• Kylie Hardin, of Forest Park
• Hunter Hill, of Thawville
• Isha Jog, of Schaumburg
• Nicolette Maas, of Lyle
• Erika Smolyar, of Lake Zurich
• Nina Strong, of Streamwood
• Amanda Vitrano, of Chicago.

Admission to the competition is free, and the doors open to the public at 2:00 p.m.

The young woman selected as Distinguished Young Woman of Illinois will travel to Mobile, Alabama, to participate in personal development activities and community service projects before competing in the Distinguished Young Woman of America 2013 contest, and for a share of more than $125,000 in cash scholarships.

Founded in 1958 in Mobile, Alabama, America’s Junior Miss (now Distinguished Young Women of America) is the largest and oldest national scholarship program for high school girls.

During its 55 years of operation, the program has provided life-changing experiences for more than 700,000 young women. Last year, Distinguished Young Women provided more than $63 million in cash and college scholarships opportunities.

Distinguished Young Women is a scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full individual potential through a fun, transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments.

For more information about Distinguished Young Women of Illinois, please contact Tiana Evans, chairwoman, at IllinoisDYW@gmail.com.

For more information about Distinguished Young Women, contact Stephanie Bradford, National Headquarters Communications Director, (251-622-5335, Stephanie@DistinguishedYW.org) or visit www.DistinguishedYW.org.