Montgomery Catholic senior Jimmiah Fenderson has beauty, brains, and talent, and it’s helping her to pave a path to college. She participated in Montgomery’s Distinguished Young Women Program with 14 other senior girls from Montgomery. They all competed to become the next Distinguished Young Woman of Montgomery County who would then advance to the state competition.
This program, formerly known as Junior Miss, encourages high school senior girls to exhibit a variety of personal and professional competencies. Contestants had to exercise professional skills, which included writing an essay, being interviewed, and speaking in front of a large audience. They demonstrated physical fitness through a choreographed aerobic dance routine. Finally, every contestant showed off a special talent, which gave the audience insight into each girl’s unique personality.
Jimmiah, who aspires to become a pediatrician, came out on top in two categories. She won the physical fitness portion, thanks to her conditioning as a student athlete, and she also won the “Self Expression” extemporaneous public speaking category. Each contestant was given the same prompt shortly before the program began that had to be answered in front of the audience: “What advice has shaped who you are today?” Jimmiah’s answer was short and inspiring: “There are two types of people in this world: those who make excuses, and those who find a way.” She went on to say that labels do not define a person, nor do they limit their capabilities, and that she writes her own book and forges her own path. While she did not win the overall competition, she was awarded $21,000 in scholarship money because of her performance. Jimmiah has not yet decided on the college she will attend in the fall, but doors are opening for her in all directions.
