Washington to compete in state DYW competition
Marlee Washington, the Distinguished Young Woman of Neshoba County, will be among 29 Mississippi high school seniors competing for more than $35,000 in college scholarships at the 2025 Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Program.
The competition will begin on Thursday, July 11, at the Evangel Temple in Meridian and will span three nights, concluding on Saturday, July 13. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting promptly at 7:30 p.m. each evening.
After the initial shock of being named Neshoba County’s Distinguished Young Woman in March, Washington expressed her excitement about competing in the state competition this week.
“Any opportunity to help fund my college education is worth pursuing,” she said. “Since Distinguished Young Women is a scholarship program, I’m going to try my best to win.”
The state program, now in its 68th year, celebrates the outstanding achievements of Mississippi’s brightest high school women.
“We are extremely excited about this year’s program,” said Sid Wilkinson, state chairman of the Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi Program. “Distinguished Young Women celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of high school women and offers them cash scholarship opportunities to further their education and to develop their self-confidence.”
Washington, the daughter of Mangold and Melonie Washington of Philadelphia, attends Neshoba Central High School.
“My parents are always supportive of whatever I want to do. I’m so extremely grateful,” she said. “They keep me motivated and make sure I stay on task. I really appreciate them for that.”
Her academic achievements and extracurricular activities include membership in the Beta Club, serving as Junior Class president, being a varsity cheerleader, competing in state Competition Powerlifting, and participating in the Student Council.
After graduation, Washington plans to attend Spelman College to pursue a career in pediatrics.
“I fell in love with Spelman College when I was in the third grade,” she said. “Spelman has always stood out to me. I’m all in for making a change in the youth, so pediatrics is the way to go for me.”
During the week-long program in Meridian, participants will be evaluated on scholastic achievement, fitness, self-expression, talent, and interview.
Washington said she feels most confident in the fitness portion, as she maintains her fitness year-round through cheerleading and powerlifting.
For her talent, Washington will perform an Acro Dance presentation of “Proud Mary.”
“I first choreographed the dance after Tina Turner passed away, so I wanted to give tribute to her,” Washington said. “It’s an upbeat, fast-paced dance. It’s very entertaining.”
Washington said one of her favorite parts of preparation has been connecting with fellow participants, and she is excited to meet them all in person.
If selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Mississippi, Washington will advance to the national finals in Mobile, Ala., in June 2025, where she will compete for a share of over $100,000 in cash scholarships, including the $40,000 national title scholarship award.
“If I am named Distinguished Young Woman of Mississippi, I would be most excited about meeting people from all over the United States,” she said. “I’m a people person, so I would love to meet different people and learn about their lives in different states.”
Above all, Washington said she hopes to gain lasting friendships and strong connections with the other participants while competing.
Reserved tickets for the 2025 Distinguished Young Women Program in Meridian are available for $65 for a three-night package. General admission tickets are $50 for a three-night package or can be purchased for individual evenings: $20 for Thursday, $20 for Friday, and $25 for Saturday.
Tickets have been on sale since Monday, June 26, and may be purchased at purplepass.com/dywofms25 or by calling 601-480-3438. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted.