Distinguished Young Women finals shine in Mobile with scholarships, talent, and service – fox10tv.com
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – This weekend, the Distinguished Young Women hosted its 68th National Finals at the Saenger Theatre. Young women from 49 of the 50 states competed to see who would win the title of Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2025.
Since their arrival in Mobile nearly two weeks ago, these girls have experienced all that the Port City has to offer, as well as developed lifelong friendships along the way.
Outside of their rehearsals, they were hard at work giving back to the community. They partnered with organizations like the United Cerebral Palsy of Mobile and Fostering Together Gulf Coast.
And hard work aside, they also got to take part in the annual oyster eating contest. And this year’s winner, Shaylah Frazier of Wyoming, was able to put down 39 oysters in three minutes.
And it all led up to this weekend, the DYW National Finals. Over the course of the weekend, these young women showcased their talents, physical fitness, and public speaking composure during a stage question.
Nikita Chincholkar took home the medallion, and the coveted title of Distinguished Young Woman.
“I was shocked “I was shocked, a girl from Oregon like coming here and competing against all these people who are so amazing and talented. I was just glad to be here, and it’s amazing to have won.”
And what’s next for Nikita?
“This fall, I’ll be attending UNC Chapel Hill, and I will be majoring in neuroscience. I hope to dance in college as well. That’s just a big part of my background”
This three day event offered more than $136,000 in scholarships, which she says will help tremendously.
“From nationals, I got 39 thousand… I will be attending UNC as an out of state student and that definitely helps relieve a lot of the burden and load off of me and my parents”
She also has a word of encouragement for all of the young women out there:
“You can do it and just try your best. Because coming into this experience, I could not have imagined that I would be talking to you or just, you know, having this title… you can do it like there’s nothing that you can’t do if you set your mind to it, and if you try your best”
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