Freedom’s very own Desiree Davis and Jennifer Wallis had the honor of being selected to represent Beaver County in the Outstanding Young Woman (OYW) program. Every April, the Beaver Area Jaycees sponsor a scholarship program open for all girls in their junior year of high school who live in Beaver County. Each prospective candidate goes through a preliminary interview and from there awaits receiving a call back. If they receive a call back, they will then schedule another interview and give a quick presentation of the talent they would like to showcase at the program. After that, the top 20 finalists are determined. The purpose for OYW is to find a well rounded candidate to represent Beaver County with their “outstanding” qualities. Some of the winner’s duties are to participate in parades, give speeches and formerly would compete at the state level of the program, which used to take place in November. However, the state level competitions will no longer be continued; this past year was its final year. Last year Freedom had one representative, Megan Szatkiewicz, who showcased her dancing talents for the program. Much like Szatkiewicz, both Davis and Wallis decided to dance, a passion they have both had since childhood. This year Szatkiewicz will return along with several of her formal finalists to participate in the “Forget-Me-Nots” portion of the program. It is their final duty for OYW – which they do a routine then each express their future plans. “Last year, I was fortunate to compete against a variety of girls with different personalities. I honestly didn’t think I would mesh with any of them. But I did. Actually, I feel I made lifelong friendships thanks to the program,” Szatkiewicz said. The competition was held on April 20. Both Davis and Wallis performed their routines, answered questions and did their best to impress the judges. Brianna Lupic from Ambridge Area High School was crowned Beaver County’s Outstanding Young Woman for 2014. While neither Freedom candidates placed, both were thrilled to have the experience. “Knowing that I had a strong enough first impression gave me such a positive attitude for the competition. It’s been a great experience. I’m so honored to have been a finalist,” Wallis said. “The most rewarding part of being in the OYW program was becoming more confident in myself in so many different ways. Just knowing that I am one of the top 20 out of all of the girls that interviewed is rewarding in itself. I made so many new friends with girls I never thought I would talk to…None of those things would have happened if I hadn’t become a part of the program,” Davis said.