(Seguin) — Guadalupe County has a new Distinguished Young Woman. The contest is better known in this area as Junior Miss. Earning the title during this year’s scholarship contest was Avery Brown of Navarro High School.
Active on the Dazzler’s Dance team, National Honor Society and theatre, Brown also won the fitness, self-expression and talent preliminary awards. Not only did she receive a $1,400 scholarship for taking home the title but she also earned an $8,000 scholarship to Texas Lutheran University. Brown, sponsored by Quality Bioresources, was also awarded a $150 scholarship award for each of the three preliminary awards won.
Brown says she is excited to represent the area and looks forward to the coming year.
“A main thing that Ms. Toni Winters (program chairman) told us was that no one would be winning the competition. It was more of a representative among winners. Actually, it was funny, she said it a lot of times so all the girls remembered that and so really I’m excited but I’m also honored that out of so many girls, and they are all really good girls and they are so sweet and so talented in their own ways — so being picked to represent us all, I was very happy and honored to do it,” said Brown.
Named as first runner-up was Kaylie Cerda of Marion High School. Cerda, who was sponsored by Tier One Dental, received a $1,000 cash scholarship.
Second runner-up was Kaelin Earl of Seguin High School. She received an $800 cash scholarship and was sponsored by The Shop at Design Associates.
Also earning awards was Kayla Hinton of Seguin High School. Hinton, sponsored by Cut Loose Hair and Moni’s Mutt Hutt, was named overall Scholastic Achievement winner and received a $150 cash scholarship.
This year’s Spirit of Junior Miss award went to Isabella Haltom of Navarro High School. Haltom, who was sponsored by Subway, earned a $150 cash prize and was voted for the honor by the contestants themselves.
A total of 10 contestants participated in this year’s program.
This year’s contest again included both filmed and live performances at the Stephen & Mary Birch Texas Theatre. Each contestant was also interviewed via zoom at the Texas by the panel of five judges. Those judges included Emily Allen, Emily Bailey, Joel Cardenas, Cathie Crain and Andi Hernandez. The two-day event held April 24-25 included five weeks’ worth of work. The young ladies also got the chance to hit the stage live and perform their self-expression routine for family members just before awards were announced.
Brown assumes the new role from last year’s Distinguished Young Woman Kamdyn Holt of Seguin High School.
Brown now goes on to represent Guadalupe County later in the year at the Texas Distinguished Young Woman of the Year contest.