I am not a pageant girl — ask any of my friends or even scroll through my social media pictures and you'll find that out pretty quickly.

I have done one pageant in my life and honestly don't really see what the big deal is. It was a very small pageant at my very small school — I knew everyone I was competing against so it wasn't really awkward or uncomfortable. We were just 12 year olds getting show off some pretty dresses.

In what I would consider a "real" pageant, against people I don't know who do them all the time though...that would make me nervous. I have never been the slimmest, tallest, or fittest girl. I have never had the best hair and my skin is splattered with freckles rather than being perfectly clear and doll-like.

Being judged against other girls for "beauty" would have crushed my self-esteem. This is what I thought Distinguished Young Women was.

In my junior year of high school, my guidance counselor prompted the girls to sign up for the Distinguished Young Women program because it offered scholarships.

A couple of my friends did and encouraged me to as well, so I did. The day I was supposed to meet with the director of my county's program to learn what it was really about, I looked on its site and saw a picture of girls wearing formal, pageant-y dresses and lined up on a stage.

I was immediately put off — I told my mom it was a pageant and that I didn't want to go meet the director because I wasn't going to do it. She made me go anyway.

Even after meeting with the (wonderful) director, I still had it in my mind that I didn't want to participate in DYW, but my parents talked me into it. And I'm so glad they did.

Distinguished Young Women is, in fact, not a pageant; it's sort of the complete opposite. Participants are not judged against each other, but actually against themselves.

The categories for judging are scholastic, interview, talent, fitness and self-expression.

Girls win by scoring as high as possible in those categories and no one is competing against anyone. The program is nationwide and all participants start by competing in their county's local program.

I participated with four other girls and we were actually the first program in our county. I did not know any of the other participants in the program (the friends who persuaded me to sign up bailed) and I think I can consider each of them a friend today.

It is something I would consider one of the best experiences of my high school career. I even came back as a volunteer for the class of 2019 program.

The program taught me many things including how to come out of my shell and that I can make a difference in the world just by starting in my community. It allowed me to get scholarship money for college as well as references and connections that may help me in the future.

DYW helped me become more confident and come into my own more than I could've imaged.

So, to all junior girls who have the opportunity to participate (whether you like pageants or not): I strongly encourage you to take it; you won't regret it.