The heart & soul of Junior Miss

Toni Winters has been involved in the Seguin chapter of DYW for over thirty years and remains a vital part of keeping the program going for new generations of girls.

“I started working with the Junior Miss program 36 years ago,” Winters said. “I was asked to help with the refreshments that year. My sister Dottsy had participated in the Junior Miss program in 1971 when she was a junior in high school. I was familiar with the program, and I am always willing to help. Junior Miss/Distinguished Young Women is in my heart. I love what it stands for and how it helps the young ladies that participate in it. The program is for the well-rounded young woman. The awesome part of this program is that everyone who participates comes out as a winner. We say ‘we choose a representative from a group of winners, not a winner from a group of representatives.’”

Winter’s role in the DYW has evolved over time, much like the program itself and while she still helps wherever needed, her current role is program chairman, but that wouldn’t have been possible without her friend, the late Steve Tschoepe.

“My friend Steve Tschoepe was the other half of Junior Miss. He had been with the program two years before I started, and he was a constant throughout all the years I have been here. He was an integral part of the program and loved what the program stands for. He passed away last year, and we miss him deeply. We have also named one of our awards, the Steve Tschoepe Award. One of the reasons I really love this program is because it gives young ladies an opportunity to win scholarships in each category. We love getting to know the young ladies and making a difference in their lives. Our local program has been in Seguin for 60 years. At one point, the national and state level were considering shutting the program down due to funding issues. I told Steve that as long as I’m around, the local Junior Miss/DYW program will be in Seguin. It’s in my heart and I feel it does a world of good for these young ladies and I want to continue giving it my best.”

For sixty years, the Junior Miss/DYW has existed in Seguin, and is as of 2025, the only remaining independent community-based organization for the program in the state. Winters and her partner Tschoepe played a key role in keeping the event alive despite facing challenges along the way. As time went on, and the world changed, local chapters closed things down, leaving only the state level of competition for many young girls to participate in.

“The program continued on the national and state levels, but several of the Texas programs dropped out,” Winters explained. “Our local program is the only program in Texas. When our representative goes to the State program to compete, she is the only participant from a program. The state level does an ‘at large program’ so other young ladies across the state get a chance to compete for scholarships. I am very proud to be the only local program that is still participating. We are so proud of all the support that our town has given us. We have had sponsors and donations for many years. Seguin has always supported the program. All of the donations are used for scholarships for the girls. We send the money directly to their college in their name. It is so rewarding to send the scholarships. Some of my best memories of the Junior Miss program are of my daughters Ashley Winters Spahn and Taylor Winters Haecker participating in the program when they were juniors in high school.  I also remember my sister Dottsy Brodt Dwyer winning the title of Junior Miss locally and going to compete at state and winning the talent portion at the state level.”

Although the program’s name has changed from Junior Miss to DYW, the goal of highlighting the exceptional talents and qualities of participants has remained a primary objective for Winters and other organizers over the years. At first glance, DYW may look a bit like a pageant, but it’s much more of a scholarship program that focuses on the academic and community accomplishments of participants rather than their beauty.

“The girls participate in five categories in the program. We have self-expression, which consists of walking and talking on the stage,” Winters said. “We have a fitness category where the girls learn a fitness routine and perform it on the stage. There is the talent category where the girls perform their own personal talent on the stage. They have an interview with the judges, where the young ladies are asked about their accomplishments, community service, and interests in high school. The last category is scholastic. The girls get their transcripts from their school, which has their courseload on it, and their scholastic portion is judged by a separate panel of judges. At the end of the program, all the scores come together, and a winner is selected.” 

With Tschoepe gone, Winters now relies on a dedicated team of volunteers who come together to make the DYW program happen each year and says it is truly a team effort and a labor of love.

“I have many volunteers that help with the program,” she said. “I call them my Junior Miss family. I still refer to the program as Junior Miss! Our name has been around for 60 years and people continue to love and support us. The Junior Miss program is always open for more donations and sponsorships! We are always proud to give away more scholarships each year. I would like to add that I have an awesome committee that helps in so many ways! We have Lori Petty, Kristen Haener, Clara Winters, Heather Drury, Missy Meeley, Madison Clark, Rebecca Clark, and Nancy Hollub. We have Nash Catering which donates food for the girls’ dress rehearsal and several of the local beta groups that help donate food for the day of the program. It takes the whole Junior Miss family to help make our program awesome.”

Winters emphasizes that the program is for any young woman, and all are encouraged to participate as long as they live in Guadalupe County. The opportunity to rack up some serious funds for college cannot be understated, and for many participants over the years, it has made a profound impact on their ability to fund their higher education.

“I encourage every junior in high school to come and participate in our program,” Winters said. “I explain to them that they have everything it takes to be a part of the program. No matter what your scholastic scores are, physical ability or talent. I tell them that every single person has it in them to complete this program and have a wonderful time. We treat each young lady equally and help them all as much as we possibly can. I cannot put a dollar figure on how much money we have given the young ladies over the years. As of now, we locally donate $4,000 in cash scholarships and $14,000 in a local scholarship to Texas Lutheran University. We have a winner, a first runner-up, and a second runner-up, and then, we have five preliminary award winners, and they also get scholarship money. I have had the Junior Miss program in my heart for as long as I can remember. I love what it stands for, and I love the difference it makes in the young ladies’ lives.”

As Junior Miss/DYW enters its 60th anniversary year, Winters and her team of dedicated individuals say they will continue to make it their mission to elevate and highlight the excellence of all young women in the Guadalupe County community and hope to do so for many more decades to come.  •