Our region’s newest ‘Outstanding Young Women’ were crowned Saturday night.
Adelynn York from Windber Area High School is Somerset County’s OYW 2022, and Eva Spangler from Forest Hills High School is Cambria County’s OYW 2022.
They told us about the moment they found out they won.
“I was just kind of shaking,” Adelynn said.
“I started to cry. I was really nervous, but it all paid off in the end,” said Eva.
28 girls competed for the title: 14 from Cambria County and 14 from Somerset County.
They’re judged in five areas: academics, interview, presence, talent, and fitness.
“I was very nervous to do this. I know it was a big step out of my comfort zone, but it was so worth it. You grow so much and learn to build a better future through this program,” Adelynn said.
The Cambria-Somerset Outstanding Young Woman Scholarship Program has been around for nearly 30 years, giving girls in our area something to look up to.
“I’ve been coming to the OYW program since I was about 6 or 7. I’ve been coming with my mom, and we’ve been watching in the audience forever. Just the fact that I finally got to do that, and that on top of it — I won — was just phenomenal,” Eva said.
Families had the option of live streaming the show online.
Although, OYW Chairperson Kristina Marinkovich said being able to have the program in-person was nothing short of ‘outstanding.’
“I know how much it meant to the ladies to have their families there live and cheering them on first-hand, rather than seeing a taped-performance of it,” she said.
She said it gives all participants, win or lose, an ‘outstanding’ experience.
“Having worked with the girls for the past several months, they’re all truly outstanding young women and really give me hope for the future,”
