Being her best self

McKenna Gilbert is used to being in the spotlight at piano recitals and as captain of Coeur d’Alene High School’s girls soccer team.

But last Saturday she was nervous to step onstage. Gilbert was being judged on her transcript, a 10-minute interview, a choreographed fitness routine, a self-expression routine and a talent of her choosing to see if she had what it takes to be the next Distinguished Young Woman of Coeur d’Alene.

As it turns out, she did.

McKenna Gilbert is the Distinguished Young Woman of Coeur d’Alene for the class of 2017 and won a $1,500 college scholarship.

“I really stepped out of my comfort zone to do something like that because I didn’t really know anyone going into it,” Gilbert said. “I’m so glad I did, because it provided me with so many lifelong friends.”

Distinguished Young Women is a national organization that promotes and rewards girls in their junior and senior years of high school for leadership, talent and scholarship. Since its inception in 1958 when it was still called "America’s Junior Miss," DYW has awarded $102 million in cash scholarships.

DYW of Coeur d’Alene participants meet for three months before the showcase where they are judged. They learn a choreographed fitness routine and self-expression routine. DYW has a Life Skills Program that helps the girls with interview skills, public speaking and building self-confidence.

Another focus of DYW is being your best self. This year’s contestant went to Dalton Gardens Elementary School and worked with fifth-graders on this concept.

Erika Lewis has been a co-director of DYW of Coeur d’Alene for four years and couldn’t be more proud of the girls who go through the program.

“DYW is a celebratory showcase of what (the girls) have accomplished in their high school careers,” Lewis said. “Are you well-rounded, involved, responsible? All participants become role models.”

Lewis said all the scholarship money for DYW of Coeur d’Alene was donated by local businesses and families this year. All that money, $5,500, went to scholarships.

At the showcase, girls were judged on their academic transcript, a 10-minute interview, a talent they choose to perform, and the fitness and self-expression routines they had practiced.

Gilbert played piano for her talent. She has been taking lessons since she was 5. During the interview, the judges asked her what the main focus of her campaign would be if she were to run for a local office.

Gilbert said she would put more funding toward education.

“I would give our teachers better wages to do fun things in their classrooms and curriculum,” she said. “I want to be an elementary school teacher, so I have a passion for it and I would love to see that get more recognition financially.”

Gilbert won the Distinguished Young Woman of Coeur d'Alene class of 2017 scholarship, the Interview scholarship, the Self-Expression scholarship and the Be Your Best Self scholarship. Paige Renaldo was the first runner-up and won the Scholastics scholarship. Maya Burgess was a finalist and won scholarships for the interview and Be Your Best Self. Caitlin Conway won scholarships in scholastics and self-expression. Annaliese Cheeley was voted by the participants as embodying the spirit of DYW. Carleigh Waites and Libby Goodwin both won scholarships for the talent portion of the showcase and Micah Hudlet and Sophia Cruzaedo-Wagner won scholarships for the fitness part.

Gilbert was nervous to go on stage, but her new friends helped ease the anxiety. She said the whole performance was a team effort and she wouldn’t have been able to do it without her friends.

“I would highly recommend it to any incoming junior girls,” she said. “Being in this program reinforced to me that there are such quality girls out there and I am so proud that I could be a part of the show and got to meet everyone.”