Distinguished Young Women enter spotlight

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Two local girls will compete in this year’s homegrown event

by John Gessner
Thisweek Newspapers

A Burnsville-area tradition continues next week with the Distinguished Young Women of Minnesota scholarship competition Saturday, Feb. 18, at Eastview High School in Apple Valley.

Two local girls, Alison Kispert of Burnsville and Aria Stiles of Apple Valley, are among the 10 contestants, who also hail from Hendricks, Ivanhoe, Wells, Willmar, Owatonna and Mora.

A week of activities leading up to the competition, formerly known as Minnesota Junior Miss, kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 12, with a welcome reception at Burnhaven Library in Burnsville.

Burnsville has served as host city for the state competition since 1985. Out-of-town competitors stay with local host families. Restaurants and other business in Burnsville and surrounding cities host the girls, who make event appearances and get a whirlwind tour of the Twin Cities during their week here.

The Kispert family of Burnsville has served as a host family since 2005, after catching the bug from neighbors.

Alison and her parents, Scott and Karin, have looked forward to the day when she could compete in the program for high school seniors.

“I would say we’ve probably had 15-plus girls stay with us,” Karin said. “They’ve all been just amazing role models for Ali growing up. She’s kind of grown up with the whole Distinguished Young Women motto,” which is Be Your Best Self.

The state competitors  can all earn scholarship money with top-three finishes in academics, interview, talent, fitness and self-expression, as well as top-three finishes overall. One state winner will advance to the national finals June 28 to 30 in Mobile, Ala., the national headquarters of Distinguished Young Women.

Kispert and Stiles advanced to the state competition through an at-large competition held in November. The other eight advanced through  competitions in Ivanhoe, Owatonna, Wells and Willmar.
‘Wonderful experience’

”It’s been a wonderful experience to grow up with this program,” said Alison Kispert, a member of the National Honor Society  at her school, Minnehaha Academy.

“I have had the pleasure of meeting many past girls who I’ve been a host sister to, and they’ve all been really wonderful role models for me.”

Kispert will sing “Climb Every Mountain” from “The Sound of Music” in the talent portion of the competition.  Past competitors who stayed with her family encouraged her to develop her musical talent, Kispert said.

She has plans for any scholarship money she may earn.

“Right now, I’m planning on going to Bethel University next year,” she said. “I plan to pursue a major possibly in nursing or music.”
Violin and fitness

Aria Stiles, whose parents are Karen and John Stiles, is an Eastview High School senior who is pinning her hopes for the competition on her musical talents and fitness.

A violinist, Stiles knows last year’s Distinguished Young Woman of Minnesota, Leeza Ali, through  shared musical experiences.

Stiles is a member of two classical quartets, including the 2011-12 MacPhail String Quartet. She’s a former member of the Minnesota Youth Symphony and recently returned from Nashville, Tenn., where she was scouting colleges with hopes of majoring in commercial music for violin.

“I do bluegrass fiddling. So that’s where the commercial style comes in,” Stiles said.

At Eastview, she’s a member of the Chamber Singers and sings, dances and plays in the theater’s annual “BRAVO!” production.

Stiles is in cross country and track and was senior captain in cross country this year.

“I think I’ll do OK in the talent part,” Stiles said. “But we’ll see. Everybody’s so smart, and they’re in there for a reason.”

John Gessner is at john.gessner@ecm-inc.com.