Participants
Distinguished Young Women participants come from all walks of life, but they have one thing in common: the desire to succeed. Below are the Distinguished Young Women of Alabama participants for the Class of 2023.
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Hannah Roberts
Autauga County
City: Prattville
College Preference: Mississippi State University
Career Goals: Architect
Talent: Lyrical Dance (I Have Nothing, by Whitney Houston)
Ava Dowden
Baldwin County
City: Daphne
College Preference: Vanderbilt or Wake Forest University
Career Goals: Mathematics Major
Talent: Piano Performance (Sonatina 1959 in C Major, by Aram Khachaturian)
Emily Boles
Bibb County
City: McCalla
College Preference: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Career Goals: pursuing a career in education
Talent: Ballet Dance en Pointe (The Sleeping Beauty Aurora Act 3 variation, by Jennifer Chapman)
Vivian Gates
Butler County
City: Forest Home
College Preference: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Career Goals: Collegiate Band Director
Talent: Flute Performance (Flight of the Bumblebee, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov)
Oza Stamps
Chilton County
City: Clanton
College Preference: Samford
Career Goals: Pharmaceutical Scientist
Talent: Music (Vocal) (Defying Gravity , by Wicked )
Meredith Wright
Clarke County
City: Grove Hill
College Preference: The University of Alabama
Career Goals: My dream is to become a corporate lawyer.
Talent: Vocal (Sublime Gracia (Amazing Grace), by John Newton)
Ariana Johnson
Coffee County
City: Enterprise
College Preference: Troy University
Career Goals: Secondary Math Education Teacher/College Professor
Talent: Dance (Happy, by Leona Lewis)
Grace Shellhouse
Covington County
City: Andalusia
College Preference: Troy University
Career Goals: Architect
Talent: Dance (I Have Nothing, by Whitney Houston)
Ashton Henderson
Cullman County
City: Hanceville
College Preference: The University of Alabama and UAB
Career Goals: Dermatology
Talent: A classical jazz routine (Last Dance , by Donna Summers )
Olivia Newman
Distinguished Young Woman of Lawrence County 2023
City: Moulton
College Preference: University of South Alabama
Career Goals: Bachelors-Biomedical Science Graduate- PA
Talent: Musical Theatre Dance (All That Jazz, by Mrs. Brea Colagross )
Christina Jones
Distinguished Young Woman of Limestone County 2023
City: Athens
College Preference: LSU, UTK, UCLA, UF (Gainesville)
Career Goals: Prosecutor/state attorney general/judge/journalism
Talent: Harp (Amazing Grace, by Hymn by E. O. Excell and John Newton)
Samantha Simmons
Distinguished Young Woman of Morgan County 2023
City: Decatur
College Preference: Florida State University
Career Goals: The Field of Law and Politics
Talent: Musical- Flute (Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, by Arranged by Alexa Taratino)
Ella Churchwell
Elmore County
City: Deatsville
College Preference: Auburn University
Career Goals: Corporate Interior Designer and Decorator
Talent: Contemporary Dance (It's All Coming Back To Me Now, by Celine Dion)
Anne Stewart Rogers
Jefferson County
City: Trussville
College Preference: Auburn University or University of Alabama
Career Goals: Physician or English Literature Professor
Talent: Piano (Fountain In The Rain, by William Gillock)
Keely Rider
Lee County
City: Opelika
College Preference: University of Georgia
Career Goals: Business
Talent: Lyrical Dance ("Here Comes the Sun", by )
Harley Hooper
Lowndes County
City: Lowndesboro
College Preference: University of South Alabama
Career Goals: Engineer
Talent: Lyrical Dance (What A Wonderful World, by Sofi Tukker)
Cheryl Harden
Macon County
City: Tuskegee
College Preference: University of Alabama
Career Goals: Dermatologist
Talent: Praise Dance (He Wants It All, by Forever Jones)
Briley Blomeley
Madison County
City: Madison
College Preference: Auburn University
Career Goals: Oncologist
Talent: Dance (Contemporary, by Madeline Mihacevich)
Finley Richardson
Mobile County
City: Saraland
College Preference: University of Alabama
Career Goals: US Press Secretary
Talent: Musical Theater Vocal (Astonishing , by Jo March from the Broadway Little Women )
Caroline West
Monroe County
City: Monroeville
College Preference: University of Alabama
Career Goals: Occupational Therapy
Talent: Character Jazz (Tea Party , by Kerli)
Tate Gardner
Pike County
City: Troy
College Preference: Auburn University
Career Goals: Physical Therapy
Talent: Jazz/Acro Dance (Don't Rain On My Parade , by Lea Michele )
Carrington Hodge
Shelby County
City: Helena
College Preference: Duke University
Career Goals: Pediatric Neurosurgeon
Talent: Jazz Solo en Pointe (Blackbird, by Scarlett Walker)
McKinley Hubbard
Tuscaloosa County
City: Woodstock
College Preference: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Career Goals: Achieve a PhD in Sports or Chiropractic Medicine
Talent: Singing and playing the piano (Great Balls of Fire, by Jerry Lee Lewis)
Amani Hicks
Washington County
City: Chatom
College Preference: Alabama State University
Career Goals: Elementary Education/ESL Teacher
Talent: Vocal (Holo - 홀오, by Lee Hi)
