Milton teen headed to national scholarship competition June 22-24

Haley Cummins of Milton will represent Delaware as a participant in the 66th Distinguished Young Women National Finals set for Thursday to Sunday, June 22 to 24, in Mobile, Ala.

Cummins is one of 50 representatives competing for $155,000 in cash scholarships and the opportunity to represent the program as the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2023.

Following her selection as the Distinguished Young Woman of Delaware, Cummins began preparations for the national finals competition, which will include five categories of evaluation: scholastics, interview, fitness, talent and self-expression. During her two weeks in Mobile, Cummins will participate in team-building activities, complete community service projects, interact with the Gulf Coast community through various events, and engage in many hours of rehearsal in preparation for the three-night scholarship competition.

Carole Hegwood, Distinguished Young Women executive director, said, “These young women are accomplished, talented, intelligent and have exciting futures ahead of them.”

If selected as the program’s overall winner, Cummins will spend the next year representing Distinguished Young Women across the country through various appearances and promoting the program’s national outreach initiative of Be Your Best Self. The outreach program is designed to combat major issues facing children today including childhood obesity and high school dropout rates, as well as to encourage young people to take an active interest in their communities through service. The program consists of five elements – Be Healthy, Be Involved, Be Studious, Be Ambitious and Be Responsible.

Cummins, the daughter of Meredith Shockley and Sean Cummins, is a 2023 graduate of Sussex Academy.

For more information, go to distinguishedyw.org.