Tennessee’s Distinguished Young Woman Lexee Hill isn’t returning to her Dayton home with the gold medallion, but the incoming freshman at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville has no regrets about participating in the national finals in Mobile.
“What an incredible experience,” the Rhea County High School graduate posted on her Facebook page. “Proud to be a part of the Distinguished Young Woman program and very proud of myself.
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Miss Hill was one of the 50 state representatives who spent two weeks in Mobile participating in civic events, rehearsals and competing in interview, fitness, talent, scholastics and self-expression in hopes of succeeding Tullahoma’s Katye Brock who became just the second Tennessean to win the national finals last June.
Contestants from neighboring states finished one-two on Saturday night at the final competition at the Mobile Civic Center. North Carolina’s Christina Maxwell of Asheville is the 2012 Distinguished Young Woman of America and Alabama’s Scarlett Walker was first runner-up. Georgia’s entrant Mary-Clayton Gilbert of Atlanta was a top 10 finalist.
Miss Hill will relinquish her title later this month at the conclusion of the 2013 Tennessee’s Distinguished Young Woman Program in Cleveland. Twenty-two rising high school seniors will participate in the July 20-21st event at the Fine Arts Center on the Bradley Central High School campus.