Katherine Anne Jackson is a shining star.

Thursday, Katherine Anne Jackson stood out among 17 other talented, intelligent young women to the members of Delta Kappa Gamma to earn the designation of 2010 Girl of the Year in a ceremony at Striplin Performing Arts Center. Along with that honor came a $2,500 scholarship.

“It is the biggest honor ever,” said Jackson. “It’s something that we all work towards, and to have that title is so amazing. I’m so fortunate to get that.”

Jackson is the salutatorian at Morgan Academy this year and boasts a 4.0 GPA.

She was also the 2010 Dallas County Junior Miss, a member of the AISA All-Star Drama cast 2010, 2009 Miss Morgan Academy, a Girls State senator in 2009, and a UCA and AISA All-Star Cheerleader.

This was the 30th annual Girl of the Year award in Dallas County.

“It’s such an honor,” said Jackson. “Especially to be nominated by such an amazing group of women. They’re all role models in our community and meeting those other nominees from all of the other schools was great.”

Jackson will attend the University of Alabama in the fall and plans to major international relations. Her goal is one day become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

“I’d like to do something that brings different cultures together and brings people together,” said Jackson.

The nominees had to step through their paces to be considered for this award. Carolyn Dunaway, president of Delta Kappa Gamma, said the applicants had to score a minimum of 19 on their ACT and have a 3.2 GPA.

If they met those qualification, then they underwent a three-part interview process before writing and essay off a prompt.

Each portion of the selection process had a point total. At the end, the points were added to determine the winner.

“It’s a complicated process,” said Dunaway. “But it is the fairest way we know to do it and it works for us.”

The finalist for each school received a $200 scholarship and those included: Katie “Red” Davis, Dallas County High School; La’Quanda Robinson, Keith High School; Joanna Irmin, Meadowview Christian School; Tamira Williams, Selma Early College; and Essie Brown, Southside High School.