Estill primed for state DYW competition
Sara Grace Estill has stayed busy since becoming this year’s Distinguished Young Woman of Shelby County.
The Spain Park High School senior has been juggling classes and extracurricular activities while preparing for the upcoming Distinguished Young Women of Alabama competition.
On Jan. 18-19 in Montgomery, she will vie for the state crown and a hefty college scholarship.
“I’m going to be honest, it’s been more work than I thought,” said Estill, who plans to attend the University of Alabama. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything because I’m gaining so many life experiences that I didn’t have before.”
That is one of the program’s goals. According to Haley Scallions, marketing chair for DYW in Shelby County, the program provides opportunities for high school seniors to step outside their comfort zones.
Scallions knows this well. She was the Shelby County titleholder in 2008, when the competition was known as Junior Miss.
“It really forces young girls to become better versions of themselves before they go off into the real world,” Scallions said.
Estill won Shelby County’s competition in July thanks to her performance in five assessment areas: physical fitness, talent, self-expression, scholastics and interview.
She completed four of the five assessments before a judges panel. Her scholastics, which include GPA and college entrance exam scores, were evaluated beforehand.
“I think what makes Sara Grace someone who stands out is her ability to take on whatever is given to her,” Scallions said. “She has this amazing spirit of someone who doesn’t see obstacles as obstacles. She sees them as opportunities, and that’s why I think I admire her so much.”
Estill will contend in Montgomery against winners of other local competitions. Scallions said many Alabama counties send contestants to state, where they will perform all five assessments again.
Estill has been fine tuning her fitness, honing her talent and participating in mock interviews to prepare. For the talent portion, she plans to complete a ballet routine en pointe to a song from the musical “Oklahoma.”
“I’m super excited, but I’m also a little nervous because it’s coming up way faster than I’m expecting,” Estill said.
As the Shelby County winner, Estill has been tasked with spreading DYW’s message of “being your best self” amid her state preparation.
She recently participated in a couple of Christmas parades and will speak at local elementary schools.
“She has taken everything we’ve thrown at her — appearances and speaking opportunities and getting ready for state — and she has taken it and made it her own,” Scallions said.
In addition, Estill is involved in a number of activities at her school and in the community. She is an SPHS Ambassador and Peer Helper; a member of the Teens Need Teens program, Honors Council and French Club; and a volunteer at Mitchell’s Place and Magic Moments.
Estill will be in Montgomery the week before the state competition to bond and prepare with her fellow contestants.
If she wins, she will represent Alabama at the national competition in Mobile.
“She is an incredible young person,” Scallions said. “We are super excited about how she’ll do this year at Alabama’s Distinguished Young Woman.”
For more information about the program, visit distinguishedyw.org. An information session about the 2019 Shelby County program will be Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. in the Hoover Public Library.