Powdersville Teen wins national competition

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Distinguished Young Woman of America contest

 By Stan Welch – For the first time in fifty nine years, a South Carolina teenager has won the national competition for the Distinguished Young Woman of America contest. Tara Moore, of Powdersville, representing the state, won first place in the competition, formerly known as America’s Junior Miss. The competition was founded in 1958 in Mobile Alabama, where it is still held annually.

 

Moore competed in five different areas, including her academic record. Distinguished Young Woman of America is the only competition of its type to include the academic record of the contestants. In addition, the contestants undergo a ten minutes interview, a ninety second talent performance, a physical fitness routine ( performed with others, with each girl also performing a spot light routine) and an on stage live interview.

 

Moore, daughter of Gordon and Patty Moore, won a gold medallion and a total of $49,500 in cash scholarships. Sharon Shingleton, director of the Anderson County DYWA program, said that many corporations and colleges also make a variety of in kind scholarships available to the various contestants, if they choose to pursue them.

 

“The Anderson County Council was very supportive of Tara and made additional funds available to allow her to travel to Alabama and compete. We are very grateful to them, and very, very proud of Tara Moore, for representing her county and state so well,” said Shingleton.