On July 10, the Woodland High School senior will compete in the areas of fitness (15 percent), interview (25 percent), scholastics (20 percent), self-expression (15 percent) and talent (25 percent). To be held at the Cobb Civic Center's Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, the program is a preliminary for the national program in Mobile, Ala., where more than $100,000 of cash scholarships will be dispersed next summer.
"I'm definitely excited," Lloyd said about the upcoming contest. "It's great, just going through the whole preparing process. It's really been a great learning experience for me.
"Through the -- now it's called the Distinguished Young Women program, -- it's just been really fun to prepare myself for interviews and performing and presenting myself because I know that it's going to help me later on in life because they're qualities that I'm going to use in other parts in my life."
In February, the 16-year-old Pine Log resident advanced to the state contest by winning the 2011 Bartow County Junior Miss title and a total of $2,100 in scholarship funds. Her numerous prizes included a medallion, a $1,300 scholarship and a $500 gift certificate from A Bride's World to purchase a gown for the state competition.
She also received four $200 scholarships for her performance in the categories of scholastics, fitness, talent and self-expression. In the talent segment, Lloyd performed a 90-second classical pointe dance to Gavin Greenaway's "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth," which she will repeat at the state level. While she still is undecided about where she will be attending college, she does plan to pursue a dance major with an emphasis in ballet.
Regarded as a well-rounded student, some of Lloyd's activities include: Advanced Company member at Steps of Faith Dance Company, International Baccalaureate student, Bartow County 4-H Club member and a participant of Woodland High School's dance program. Recent accomplishments featured placing second in the Georgia 4-H Project Achievement PA-Dance, attending Interlochen Arts Camp Ballet Intensive in 2009, and being named "Miss Woodland High School" 2009-2010 and selected for the American Ballet Theatre Intensive.
Formerly known as America's Junior Miss, the national organization was renamed the Distinguished Young Women in June. The state level also will follow suit with this year's winner becoming the Distinguished Young Woman of Georgia. Still serving as a volunteer with the organization's local and state committees, Hufstetler said the name change will help the scholarship program further separate itself from the pageant world.
"The national board decided to change the name in order to better represent who we are instead of who we aren't," Hufstetler said. "Junior Miss highlights scholarships most importantly through recognition and scoring of scholastics in the actual competition. Also all awards that come from Junior Miss are in the form of cash scholarships. The program rewards students in talent, scholastics and leadership and focuses on well-rounded young women.
"Be Your Best Self will still be the national outreach program for the Distinguished Young Women organization. It is a program that focuses on teaching youths most specifically how to be their best in every area of life. The five points of the Be Your Best Self program are: be healthy, be ambitious, be involved, be responsible and be studious."
Advance tickets to the state competition that will be held from 2 to 10 p.m. in Marietta can be purchased by contacting Al Smith at gjmsmith@live.com.