Will compete with 47 others for top scholarship prize of $100,000.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Three young women of South Asian origin will compete in the 2014 Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program finals, which are set to take place next week, from June 26-28.
Emily Malik, Reema Sameen, and Astha Berry have each been selected among 47 other girls to compete for the top prize of $100,000 in scholarship money, and the title of Distinguished Young Woman of America.
Each contestant represents a different state in the US, is currently in high school with intention of going to college, and must also meet three key requirements to be eligible for competition: they must be a legal US resident, have never been married, and have never been pregnant.
Malik will represent the state of Ohio at next week’s finals. She is the daughter of Stephen and Sheri Malik, according to the Distinguished Young Women’s website. She hopes to attend college at Ohio State University, with the ultimate goal of earning her Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree.
Sameen hails from Vermont, and her parents are named Sameen Mohideen and Aroosha Sanoor. She says that she wants to attend the University of Vermont, and that she hopes to become either a nutritionist or a nurse when she’s done with school.
Finally, Berry will represent the state of Wisconsin. She is the daughter of Astha and Arti Berry, and hopes to come to Baltimore so she can study at Johns Hopkins University. She hopes to become a neurosurgeon, neurologist, and/or a talk show host when she enters the job market after studying.
All three girls, along with their 47 competitors, will be judged on several different criteria: self-expression (15% of the total score), fitness (15% of the total score), scholastics (20% of the total score), a 10-minute personal interview with the judges (25% of the total score), and their talent showcase, which will take place during the finals (25% of the total score).
Malik, for her talent showcase, will be tap-dancing to the song “Resolve,” by Nathan Lanier, while her dance will be choreographed by Suzy Straub. Sameen and Berry, meanwhile, will both be performing Bollywood numbers: Sameen will dance to “Nagada Sang Dhol” from the film Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela, and Berry will perform to the title song from the film Aaja Nachle.
The 57th National Finals will be held at the Mobile Civic Center Theatre in Mobile, Alabama.