Beaver Area’s best ladies take the stage as they compete in the “Distinguished Young Women” competition April 6 in the auditorium.

Beginning at 7 p.m, 15 area girls, including juniors Cindy Liu, Sarah Gido, and Caitlyn Arndt from Beaver Area, will compete to be number one in Beaver County’s competition. The winner will move on to a state competition—held in Pittsburgh—to earn up to $10,000 in scholarship money.

To participate in DYW, these young women had to fill out a standard application of information, submit a high school transcript, and then wait for the results. They also had to complete a project called “Be Your Best Self” for which the ladies create “A project or an essay about being healthy, involved, studious, ambitious and responsible,” explained Arndt.

After the students are notified of their acceptance, the slew of learning routines began. Practices are held every Sunday at Stage West from 6 to 8 p.m. until the big day in April.

Before the show, all participants are interviewed by the judges. During the actual show, there is an opening number—(this year’s theme being Aretha Franklin)—followed by public speaking, fitness, and talent segments. The opening number has all participants dancing to music.

In the public speaking section, there is a question posed on stage, and the ladies each have about 30 seconds to respond.

The fitness section is sort of like a Zumba class (with push-ups) that all the ladies do in a synchronized fashion.

The talent section is self-explanatory: each participant chooses a skill and performs it for the judges.

In the talent section, Gido will be singing a musical theater piece, Liu will be playing a piece called “Salut D’amour” on the violin, and Arndt will be doing a dance routine. However, because DYW is still so far away, these choices are subject to change.

The trio are visibly enthusiastic for the upcoming show, with bonding among the participants being a common attribute.

“I am so excited for DYW! I’m [also] excited to get to know the other girls,” Gido commented optimistically.

However, a competition is still a competition, thus it can be nerve-racking for all who participate because all are aiming to succeed April 6.

“So far, the experience has been fun, and all the girls are super nice. I am nervous—but excited—for the final program,” Arndt stated.

Liu added a tinge of positivity to the thought of possibly losing, saying, “I have mixed feelings! I’m excited for the show and [to] see all the girls working hard towards one thing! I’m also nervous, and it’s not easy to cope with loss. We shouldn’t be disappointed [if we lose] because I know all the girls will give their all during the show making it hard for judges [to pick a winner].”

Would you like to get DYW tickets for a cheaper price? If so, contact Liu; she is selling tickets for $15 rather than $20 if you buy them at the door.

We’re all looking forward to the competition, and—even better—a follow-up article in the ECHO if one of these three girls wins. Good luck ladies!