Almost 20 high school senior girls will compete for scholarships in several different categories in the upcoming Distinguished Young Women program.

The annual event comes at a good time as these girls start planning for college in less than a year and the next chapter in their lives.

The local winner also has the chance to compete at the state and, potentially, national level for thousands of dollars in scholarships. The national program is each June in Mobile.

Locally, some $11,000 will be award in categories like scholastic achievement, an interview, fitness, talent and self-expression. The overall winner will earn $3,000.

The program doesn’t happen overnight and is a credit to the organizers who put it on year after year, giving these great opportunities to students from Dallas County.

The girls also put in a lot of work, practicing for weeks to learn dance routines and work on their interview skills.

Good luck to all of the contestants. Biographies and photos of each of them will be in the Life&Style section of Wednesday’s newspaper.

The competition will take place Saturday, Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Pickard Auditorium beside the School of Discovery. Admission is $10.