Our 2024 Distinguished Young Woman of Woodford County is Hannah Hash
Runner Up Peyton Whitaker
Distinguished Young Women is the oldest and largest national scholarship program for young women in high school. DYW strives to give young women the opportunity to further their education, prepare them for a successful future, learn new things, and meet new people. “My favorite part of DYW was getting to know some girls in my grade a lot better! I knew Peyton really well, but the other four participants, I really didn’t know that well up until we were spending so much time together. It was a really great experience and I made some great friendships!” Hannah said.
Distinguished Young Women inspired by encouraging continued education and providing scholarship opportunities for higher education, creating opportunities to beneficially inspire and impact the lives of others, encouraging and showcasing excellence in academic achievement, physical fitness, on-stage performance, and the ability to think and communicate clearly as well as developing self-confidence and the abilities to interview effectively, speak in public, perform on stage and to build interpersonal relationships. “I walked away from the program having learned how important it is to be well-rounded; DYW is an all-encompassing program, reaching all the way from fitness to community service hours. It reemphasized the importance of being involved in a little bit of everything to be the best version of yourself you can be!”
Young girls can start registering for DYW their Junior year so that they can be prepared for their senior year. “I would absolutely encourage any Junior girls to register for DYW! It was an amazing experience and really low stakes for a LOT of scholarship money. I walked away with around $4,000 in scholarship money, and for a two-hour show, I would say it was absolutely worth it. You make community connections that will last a lifetime, get to know the girls in your grade a lot better, and nine times out of ten will walk away with some kind of money. I would highly recommend it.”
Hannah is a senior at Woodford County High School and she dances at Jane’s School of Dance in Versailles, Kentucky. She is also a member of Y-Club here at the High School. She plans to attend either WKU or UK on their Pre-Law tracks, with hopes of becoming a child custody attorney in the state of Kentucky after high school.
Hannah is currently preparing for the state competition coming up! “I’m really looking forward to participating at state! I know a lot of girls who are going from my time at the Governor’s Scholars Program, and statewide conferences like KYA and KUNA, so I’m SUPER excited to have reunions with them! It will be a great experience, and I can’t wait to represent Woodford County!”
