Kadynce Scott, a junior at LHS, won the title of Distinguished Young Woman for the Class of 2026. The competition took place on April 12 in the P1FCU Performing Arts Center at LHS.
The room erupted with a cheer when the announcer read her name. Upon winning, Scott received a $1,600 scholarship, a DYW medallion, and the opportunity to represent Lewiston at the Idaho State DYW program. Scott was also awarded money for the talent and fitness sections, as well as for her interview. She will be competing in nationals against other regions’ 2026 DYW in Mobile, Alabama.
Aliah Winterbottom was announced as first runner-up and also won awards for fitness, self-expression, and talent.
Kimber Luke won the Spirit of DYW award, along with recognition for scholastics, self-expression, and the Be Your Best Self award.
Lillie Jolliff was given awards for her interview and scholastics.
While the judges were deciding who would become the next DYW, a slideshow showcasing the contestants’ journey throughout the program was played for the crowd to enjoy. It featured pictures of the girls practicing their routines as well as supporting the community with activities such as making baby blankets for St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston.
Participating in the DYW program “is a great [way] to get involved with the community,” said Natalie Witt, another contestant. She added that it involves a lot of “bonding time” with the other participants.
After the awards, farewells took place for the DYW Class of 2025 from Clarkston and Lewiston. Katelyn Holm, the outgoing Lewiston DYW, and Hayley Barnea, last year’s Clarkston DYW, stood on stage with their proud parents while they played recorded speeches expressing their gratitude towards the program. “DYW’s goal is to foster a sense of community and growth within girls who might not have talked to each other otherwise,” Holm said. “A lot of the girls that I hung out with this year are people that I might not have talked to a lot before, but now I’m able to have more connections with the school and be more confident in school and more confident in myself.”
Interviews between each of the girls and the judges took place before the competition. In these, the judges looked for clarity of expression and examined the girls’ personal sense of values. Topics listed include personal bio, current events, and scholastic GPA, plus extracurricular activities. The girls’ scholastic GPA and extracurricular activities did play a role in the judges’ selection for the 2026 DYW.
The fitness portion of the competition consisted of each of the five girls moving along with the beat of a choreographed workout, where they individually took turns standing before the judges and doing several consistent pushups, situps, and also demonstrated leg mobility.
Each of the 2026 contestants chose talents that would represent their personalities and passions. Natalie Witt’s talent was tumbling. During the performance, she demonstrated gravity-defying stunts such as backflips and back walkovers. Her attitude brought the energy in the entire auditorium up and left a definite impression on the audience. Lillie Jolliff gave a speech about balancing the daily struggles of school, friendships, and family. Jolliff reflected upon how, despite the chaos of many responsibilities, her main goal was to be there for the ones she loved. Aliah Winterbottom performed a piano piece that echoed in people’s ears even as the notes faded to a stop. The spotlight on the grand piano and shining dress, along with the emotion she put into her interpretive piece, is surely something to be remembered. Kimber Luke gave a speech and added her own creative twist by showcasing original art pieces that went along with her topic, which was fittingly about innovators of the past and all those who dare to dream. Her three art pieces highlighted key figures of the past, such as Albert Einstein, Hedy Lamarr, and the Wright brothers. Lastly, Kadynce Scott danced and added a bit of tumbling. She performed impressive maneuvers, creative choreography, and put genuine emotion into her expressive piece.
As a special treat, the Clarkston and Lewiston 2025 DYW performed their talents. Holm sang “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone, and Barnea performed a lyrical ballet dance to “Lost In Your Love” by Brandon Lake. Both talents showcased the work and dedication the two girls had to the program and themselves.
As their final challenge, the five contestants competed in a segment referred to as ‘self-expression’. In this segment, the girls draw a piece of paper with a question that they answer in front of the 10 judges. They were allowed to review the questions a day in advance in order to prepare for the ones they might draw. The judges looked for confidence in body language and studied the girls’ ability to answer under pressure. Shortly after this, they performed their poise and confidence number where they walked around in heels and proved to the judges and audience their flawless posture and balance.
Luke said she would encourage future junior girls to participate in DYW.
“If you’re thinking about not doing it, you definitely should,” Luke said. “It’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. You grow so much closer to the girls you do it with, and it’s a lot of fun to learn the routines.”
