Brookfield Central's Erin Hu will represent DYW Brookfield

High School girls throughout Wisconsin will come together for the Distinguished Young Women (DYW) of Wisconsin State Finals on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at 7:00 PM. Participants will contend for cash scholarships and the opportunity to represent Wisconsin as the Distinguished Young Woman of Wisconsin at the National Finals in Mobile, Alabama. The mission of Distinguished Young Women is to positively impact the lives of young women by providing a free, transformative experience that encourages young women to reach their full, individual potential.

Brookfield Central High School Junior Erin Hu will participate in the Class of 2023 Distinguished Young Woman State Finals Program as the Distinguished Young Woman of Brookfield.

In January, Hu was selected as the DYW of Brookfield 2023 from a field of 17 participants in scholastics, interview, fitness, talent, and self-expression.

Hu earned scholarship awards in four of the five categories, receiving the highest scoring total and the opportunity to represent Brookfield at the state level in July. Ellen Linnihan, the Brookfield program chair, stated, "Erin is a wonderful representative who truly embodies the platform of the program, which is to 'Be Your Best Self.' Erin demonstrates the ability to think on her feet and speak eloquently on teen topics for the youth of her community. Her grace and intelligence make her a truly distinguished representative. I wish her the best of luck at the next level."

Hu is a Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) two-time state champ and state runner-up. She recently placed as a top 10 finalist in market management team decision making at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) with her project coworker Arisha Sobhani, who also took part in the DYW Brookfield Program.

In 2021, she placed third in the state's public forum category with project coworker Ananya Bhatt, another DYW Brookfield Program participant.

A USABO (USA Biolympiad) Semifinalist and AP Scholar with Honor, Hu is also a member of her school's tennis team, Division 1 sectional runner-ups in 2021.

Hu is an executive board member of Brookfield Central High School’s Key Club, including over 350 actively engaged members. She loves volunteering at events which include the American Cancer Society, where she has the opportunity to work with various members of the community to fundraise for cancer research/support and introduce Key Clubbers to the cause.

The DYW Brookfield representative's goal is to become a physician who incorporates medical knowledge with public policy-related topics, maximizing the benefits of science for the people.

Hu chose to participate in the DYW Brookfield program because she saw it as an opportunity to grow more holistically. “DYW integrates being healthy, involved, studious, ambitious, and responsible into one program, and I wanted to use the opportunity to demonstrate and improve upon all of these aspects. I also knew of DYW as a great program to interact with other girls to build upon life-long skills,” Hu said.

The 2023 Wisconsin State representative and 49 other high school winners will seek the opportunity to acquire some of the $100,000 in cash scholarships and hundreds of thousands of dollars of college-granted scholarships at the National Finals Program.

Hu is the daughter of Dr. Ling Mei and Ronggui Hu of Brookfield.

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/or 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 and the Staybridge Suites Milwaukee Airport South Hotel. The state program will award $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.