DYW Crestview participants seek scholarship donations

Moriah Brannon, Ashley Grabowski, Ashley Guthrie, Hayley Marshall and Emily Parker, left to right, are competing for Distinguished Young Women scholarships.

CRESTVIEW — The Distinguished Young Women of Okaloosa County scholarship program has five Crestview candidates seeking scholarship donations.

Baker School student Emily Parker, Crestview High School students Moriah Brannon, Hayley Marshall and Ashley Guthrie, and Niceville High School student Ashley Grabowski are collecting "fan support" donations for scholarship fund awards.

To make a tax-deductible donation, send a check, payable to DYW of Okaloosa County Inc., to Carole Byrd, DYW Director, 205 Fir Ave., Niceville, FL 32578.

The competition's Northwest Florida portion is 7 p.m. July 27 at Fort Walton Beach Civic Auditorium, 107 Miracle Strip Parkway S.E., Fort Walton Beach. Admission costs $5 per person at the door.

Judges will evaluate participants’ fitness, talent, grades, public speaking and interviews. A minimum of 10 awards, including four-year college scholarships from Troy State University and the University of West Alabama, will be presented to winners.

The winner advances to state competition, and each state winner goes to nationals in June in Mobile, Ala.

The Okaloosa County DYW program credited April Linton of Crestview for supporting Okaloosa participants.

"She is our biggest supporter and active team member," said Carol Byrd, chair of Distinguished Young Women's Okaloosa branch.

For more information on DYW, visit http://distinguishedyw.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: DYW Crestview participants seek scholarship donations