EASTHAMPTON — Clara Downey, a 17-year-old Easthampton High School student, has been named the Distinguished Young Woman of Greater Easthampton 2019 and has been awarded $5,300 in scholarship money.
Currently a junior, Downey says she hopes to use the scholarship money at her top choice college, the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, to study law.
“It was an amazing experience,” she said of the program. “I would recommend it for everybody. It taught me that interviewing and public speaking are so important and they’re really not that hard.”
Along with being named the Distinguished Young Woman of Greater Easthampton 2019, Downey also received awards for interview, talent, self expression and fitness portions of the program.
She said she didn’t know many of the other candidates before participating in the program, but now they are good friends who talk and text “constantly.”
This is the 53rd year of the Distinguished Young Women of Greater Easthampton program, formerly known as Greater Easthampton’s Junior Miss.
The nine young women who were candidates this year were Downey, Molly Hancock, Casey Young, Isabel Navarro, Madison DeGrandpre, Michelle McDermott, and Naomi DeDeurwaerder of Easthampton, and Sophia Kubosiak and Audrey Bronson of Southampton.
Chairwoman Jennifer Lawton said the program was happy to award $15,000 total in scholarship money this year to help young women further their education after high school, reach their fullest potential and become role models to other young women.
“This year’s group of outstanding young women were a great privilege to work with,” Lawton said. “Each proudly represented the greater Easthampton community as they came together over nine weeks to learn life skills, put on a spectacular show and ultimately become friends.”
DeDeurwaerder won $2,400 in scholarship money and was first runner-up, as well as a talent and fitness award recipient. DeGrandpre was named second runner-up, receiving $1,500.
Young won $500 for an interview award and McDermott won $700 for a scholastics award and the Be Your Best Self Award.
Southampton candidate Kubosiak won $500 for a scholastics award. Fellow Southampton candidate Bronson was awarded with $1,400 for a self expression award, the Spirit of Distinguished Young Women Award, the Chaperone Award, and the Arline Hambley Community Service Award.
M.J. Tidwell can be reached at mjtidwell@gazettenet.com.