AmFirst and WBRC Fox 6 are proud to announce the winners of the prestigious Rising Star scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year. The Rising Star scholarship program identifies exceptional high school students across Birmingham and surrounding areas and awards scholarships to support their academic endeavors. 
Among the winners includes Kaitlyn Howard, the 2024 Distinguished Young Woman for Bibb County. Kaitlyn, from Bibb County High School, has been awarded a $5,000 Rising Star scholarship in recognition of her outstanding academic achievements, leadership, and community service. 
Kaitlyn’s selection as a Rising Star scholarship recipient highlights her dedication and commitment to excellence. Throughout the academic year, she has demonstrated exceptional performance in her studies, actively participated in extracurricular activities, and made significant contributions to her community. Her recognition as the Distinguished Young Woman for Bibb County further highlights her remarkable qualities and potential as a future leader. 
The Rising Star program, dedicated to recognizing outstanding student achievement, features one semi-finalist each week on WBRC Fox 6. From a pool of 30 remarkable candidates, six individuals were selected as winners of the $5,000 scholarships.  
Kaitlyn joins an elite group of scholarship recipients, including Henry Stallcup of Mountain Brook High School, Aubrey Foy of Childersburg High School, Gabriel Basaraba of Etowah High School, Brody Mazingo of Jemison High School, and Melany Morgan of the Alabama School of Fine Arts. These students were selected based on their academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities, community involvement, and final interviews. 
“We are extremely proud of the Rising Star Scholarship program and this year’s class of honorees. Over the past 15 years, the program has recognized over 200 outstanding students who will make up the next generation of leaders in our communities,” shared Bill Connor, President and CEO of AmFirst. 
Additionally, AmFirst announced the recipient of the first in-house AmFirst $5,000 scholarship to Rachel Vanlandingham of Mortimer Jordan High School, further demonstrating AmFirst’s dedication to supporting educational achievements. 
Congratulations and well done, Kaitlyn!  

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