When I tell people that I participated in the Distinguished Young Women program or "DYW," I oftentimes get one of two responses. People either say, "I've never heard of it," or "I didn't know you did pageants!" Then I usually follow that up with, "It's not a beauty pageant, it's a scholarship program." However, that's not entirely true either, DYW is so much more than a scholarship program that people often confuse it as a beauty pageant because DYW does so much more than award accomplished young women with scholarships. So, for anyone wondering if they should participate in a local program, continue reading and I'll give you my whole spiel.

It really is a scholarship program.

So I know I already mentioned this, but let's get real, you're probably reading this because you need some money for college. DYW is operated on three different levels, each offering scholarship opportunities. There is a local, state, and national program. The representative chosen at a local program moves on to the state program and the state representative moves on to the national program, so it is structured like a Miss America pageant. Participants can receive scholarships for winning preliminary awards in Interview, Scholastics, Fitness, Talent, and Self Expression, as well as placement awards as the second alternate, first alternate, or the representative. The monetary value of these scholarships differ from program to program, but last June, the DYW of America 2016, Tara Moore (SC), was awarded $40,000 at the national program alone. Additionally, many colleges offer full tuition to state representatives. If that's not enough motivation, don't worry I have more reasons to participate.

You get to be involved in your community.

DYW provides so many opportunities to get involved in the community. As a local representative, I gave presentations on being your best self to students ranging from kindergarten to high school. With the amount of time spent working with children as a DYW, those volunteer hours for college applications are sure to add up. I also had a lot of fun riding in parades, but I didn't count that as volunteer hours, don't worry.

You learn to be your best self.

There's a reason that DYW has the Be Your Best Self program (BYBS). Everything about DYW teaches you to be your best self. As a local, state, or national participant, you learn the pillars of the BYBS program, which are: Be Healthy, Be Involved, Be Studious, Be Ambitious, and Be Responsible. Participants reach out to their communities to educate children about BYBS and set an example. The DYW program itself encourages young women to be well-rounded individuals. As I mentioned earlier, participants are scored on five categories. Scholastics count for 25% of the total score, so academics is very important to the DYW program. This is what truly makes it a scholarship program rather than a beauty pageant. Interview also makes up 25% of the score. Through DYW, I learned valuable interview skills, and I know how to prepare for any job interview in the future. Talent counts for 20% and it truly encourages young women to pursue activities in the arts outside of the classroom. DYW does NOT have a swimsuit portion! Instead, Fitness makes up 15% of the score. Participants perform an intense fitness routine that includes push-ups, sit-ups, V-sits, lunges, and more to show off the participants' strength and stamina.The last portion of scoring is Self Expression, where participants answer a question on stage to practice public speaking, which is so important in today's age. DYW truly focuses on creating well rounded young women who will become leaders in the future.

You'll make lifelong connections.

When I was younger, I thought that the best thing I could get from DYW was a medallion and some tuition money. Little did I know that I would meet my best friends through this program. I know I said it isn't a beauty pageant, but I still met some of the most beautiful girls, inside and out through DYW. I didn't think it was possible to make such amazing friends while simultaneously competing with them, but somehow it is! I didn't win my state program, but I did meet my best friend... who ended up winning it. I can't thank DYW enough for introducing me to such phenomenal young women, who have changed my life in such a positive way.

It's been over two years since I performed my talent number, gave a BYBS presentation, and introduced myself as "Madison Linnihan, Brookfield" to a crowd, but somehow DYW has stayed with me. The lessons I've learned, the skills I've acquired, the friendships I've made, and the college tuition I also earned have impacted my life in such a wonderful way.