In a world where confidence is lacking, beauty is overlooked, and smartness is judged, one young lady from George Rogers Clark High School is preparing to do her part to change this narrative at this year’s Kentucky Distinguished Young Women Program. This program promotes and rewards scholastics, leadership, and talent in young women.
In August, Maddie Goeing was honored as the 2024 Distinguished Young Woman of Clark County. “I had never seen a Distinguished Young Women program so I was a little nervous going into it,” she says, but that didn’t stop her. “The local chairperson really helped me out and helped me understand that it really wasn’t going to be so nerve-wracking and it was just about having fun and being my best self.”
Maddie also received preliminary awards and scholarships in multiple categories.
Maddie is preparing to represent Clark County at the state level of the DYW program starting Jan. 12. “I’ve practiced my talent and done a lot of mock interviews,” she says. “Lots of people in the community have helped me prepare in so many ways for state.”
Not only has Maddie learned skills to improve her ability to succeed in the competition but she has also gained insight about what’s happening around the world. “I’m not used to knowing what’s going on in other parts of the world and it’s really been an eye-opener because I’ve had to do lots of research on current events and learn about a bunch of new people,” she says.
Although preparing for such a high-level competition can be challenging, Maddie has found ways to make her experience fun and memorable. “Getting all my outfits has been super enjoyable because I have a little sister, Connor Codell, and we get to have cute matching shoes,” she says.
Through all of the chaos and fast pace of the program, Maddie has prioritized connecting with other competitors. “I’ve already met my roommate for the week who will be with me at our host family’s home for the entire week,” she says, “I’m super excited to get to know all the other girls and form lifelong friendships.”
The renowned reputation of the Distinguished Young Women program draws the eyes of people all over the community and is a direct reflection of what Maddie has done with her platform. “I feel proud that I get to represent our county and be a role model for all the other little girls in our community,” she says.
Maddie got the opportunity to use her influence as the 2024 Clark County DYW and visit with children who look up to her. “I went to Baker Intermediate School and got to talk to them about what it’s like to be a Distinguished Young Woman,” she says, “We talked about the acronym HAIRS which is what DYW is really about — Health, Ambition, Involvement, Responsibility, and Studious.”
As much as Maddie is a mentor for younger girls throughout her community, she has used past local DYW winners Claire Martin and Michelle Rodgers to influence her in the same way.
For Maddie, the prospect of winning the upcoming Kentucky DYW isn’t just about coming home victorious, but also about using her platform to inform others about what the program is truly about. “Learning about DYW for the past five months has been super eye-opening for me,” says Maddie. “I think more people should be involved and I am going to continue to use my influence to help, because it truly is incredible.”
Although Maddie’s experience at state has not yet begun, one thing that’s certain is that her journey has been nothing short of inspiring, and her hard work and dedication will carry her very far.
Be sure to watch Maddie Goeing compete in the 2024 Kentucky Distinguished Young Women program starting Jan. 12 at 7 p.m., at the Singletary Center for the Arts, in Lexington KY.
