Brookfield graduate wins national honors in Distinguished Young Women

Following a selection process in her home state of Wisconsin in January last weekend, Brookfield Central graduate Cynthia Lu traveled to Mobile, Alabama, along with 49 other state representatives to participate in community activities and prepare for the 65th annual national competition.

As the National Program's second runner-up, Lu accumulated $18,000 in cash scholarships through her participation in the Distinguished Young Women program, plus additional scholarships at the state and local (Brookfield) levels.

Lu won three preliminary awards in the Talent, Interview and Scholastics categories. In addition to serving as the second runner-up of Distinguished Young Women for the next year, Lu will attend Georgetown University.

"It was so surreal to receive 2nd runner-up in Mobile. I didn't expect it at all! I knew I had done my best and was happy with my performance, so earning that scholarship was the cherry on top," Lu said.

Being in Alabama and interacting with the other DYW participants is an experience she will never forget.

"Meeting the 49 other state representatives was definitely the best part of my experience. The compassion, intelligence, drive, gratitude, and optimism exhibited by every single young woman were admirable and incredible to witness. I know I'll be staying in touch with everyone and that the friendships that came out of this program will last for a lifetime," Lu said.

During the three nights, each Distinguished Young Woman participant was assessed in the following areas: Scholastics (25 percent), Interview (25 percent), Talent (20 percent), Fitness (15 percent), and Self-Expression (15 percent). The Distinguished Young Women Program follows local, state, and national criteria.

Ellen Linnihan, the Brookfield program chair, stated, "Cynthia has shown tremendous resilience throughout her DYW journey — beginning with a virtual local experience. Covid was a constant storm cloud threatening to wreak havoc, but Cynthia maintained her focus, composure, and determination through it all."

Linnihan said seeing it all come to life on the national stage was magical, and Lu's hard work paid off in three category awards and placed third overall in the nation.

"Cynthia spoke of the importance of mental health and took the opportunity to speak of her own struggles on the national stage, calling for schools to cultivate mental wellness in students. Cynthia is truly an inspiration to younger girls to persevere and always remember to care for themselves," Linnihan said.

In addition to Linnihan, DYW Wisconsin Chair Meg Sranske also noted Lu's accomplishments.

"We are so incredibly proud of Cynthia and her amazing achievement. To be awarded three preliminary category awards and 2nd runner-up at the National level is phenomenal. She represented the state of Wisconsin very well here in Mobile, Alabama!"

Lu graduated from Brookfield Central High School last month as the school's salutatorian. In the fall, she will attend Georgetown University, where she plans to become an International Human Rights Attorney. She is the daughter of Shuang Jia and Cong Lu.

Asked what advice she would give to another prospective DYW participant, Lu didn't hesitate.

"To anyone considering whether they should participate in Distinguished Young Women—I say go for it! You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. It might be intimidating or scary, but you will come out with the knowledge that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to," Lu said.

The 2023 Wisconsin State Finals will take place Saturday, July 30th at 7 pm at the Franklin Saber Center. The program will be awarding more than $10,000 in college scholarships at the state level this year.

The Distinguished Young Women of Wisconsin At-Large Program is now taking applications for girls in the Classes of 2024 and 2025. Apply today at: www.distinguishedyw.org

For more information on Distinguished Young Women of Wisconsin, please contact State Chairperson Meg Sranske at: wisconsin@distinguishedyw.org and Wisconsin National Support Team member Carol Rubino at: carol@distinguishedyw.org

About Distinguished Young Women
Founded in 1958, Distinguished Young Women is a free program that encourages participants to reach their full individual potential. Our mission is to empower young women by providing over $1 billion in scholarship opportunities, connecting with a nationwide network of women, developing self-confidence, and participating in our Life Skills Workshops that prepare them for high school.

National sponsors include Barbara Barrington Jones Family Foundation, Mobile County, City of Mobile, Alabama Power Foundation, Shoe Station, Gant Travel Management, the Coffeen Family, Regions Financial Corporation, Jostens and Alabama Media Group.

Wisconsin state sponsors include the Women at Johnsonville, Jockey, Eder Flag, Mathnasium, Young Dance Academy, Dale Carnegie Training, Kwik Trip and the Staybridge Suites Milwaukee Airport South Hotel. The state program will award over $10,000 in college scholarships this year.

For more information about Distinguished Young Women, contact Tara Principe, National Headquarters Marketing and Communications Director, at 251-438-3621 or Tara@DistinguishedYW.org or visit www.DistinguishedYW.org