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COLUMBIANA -- Delaney Finsley has made a name for herself when it comes to success.
The Columbiana High School graduate has earned top spots in a variety of state and national competitions over the last year, and most recently she earned a $1,000 cash scholarship during the Distinguished Young Women National Finals.
The three-day competition was held in Mobile, Ala. at the end of June. Participants competed for more than $155,000 in cash scholarships, with the top finalist awarded $40,000.
Finsley represented the state of Ohio alongside 49 other young women representing their states in the 66th annual national competition.
Prior to the competition Finsley arrived in Mobile on June 14 to participate in community activities and rehearsals before competing for scholarship prizes at the Mobile Civic Center Theater.
The Distinguished Young Women is a free program founded in 1958 that encourages participants to reach their full individual potential and is focused on empowering young women by providing $1 billion in scholarship opportunities, as well as creating networks and other opportunities to help them achieve success after high school.
"We are so proud of this year's class and their accomplishments, they were a truly outstanding group," Tara Lawson, national headquarters marketing and communications director said.
Finsley earned the $1,000 cash scholarship in the Self Expression category during the second night of the preliminary competition.
She will attend West Liberty University this fall and plans to become an elementary school teacher. She is the daughter of Heather and Martin Finsley.
"My Distinguished Young Women experience was incredible. Every person I met, from the staff, to the volunteers, to the other Distinguished Women, were so sweet and generous. I also loved experiencing all that the city of Mobile, Ala. had to offer. The rich history and strong sense of community was evident and amazing to see. Distinguished Young Women is an opportunity unlike any other, and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about it. I hope other girls from the Northeast Ohio area look into pursuing this extraordinary scholarship opportunity," Finsley said.
More information about the Distinguished Young Women program, including a full list of competition results, can be found online at distinguishedyw.org.