Lind-Ritzville DYW program set for Saturday

This year's Distinguished Young Women program has arrived, and is set to take place at the Lind-Ritzville Middle School gymnasium this Saturday, March 16, at 7 p.m.

Five participants are competing for the honor of being crowned the 2020 Distinguished Young Woman of Lind-Ritzville: Kelley Carleton, Katheran Gingrich, Alibama Rushing, Diamond Spain and Taylor Stromberger.

This year's Sophomore Sisters are: Jordyn Fode, Mercedes Miller, Ashlynn Norton, Grace St. John and Andrea Nova. The escorts during the program are: Spencer Miller, Cole Cameron, Eric Hayes, Conrad Ziemer, Doug Morris, Rusty Wolf and Jeffrey Staley.

Darcy Brown will be the program's Mistress of Ceremonies, and the judges will be: Rose Cook, Wendy Risenmay, Kyra Wonders, Jill Smith and Sarah Raugust. Lisa Killian is the program's chairperson.

Contestant No. 1 is Kelley Carleton, who is the daughter of Lazara and George Carleton. Kelley has one younger brother, George. Carleton plans to attend Washington State University in Pullman, with the hopes of becoming a nurse.

For her performance during Saturday's program, Carleton will play the flute. Her favorite song is "Heaven" by Kane Brown and her favorite musical group is Tears for Fears, an English pop rock band formed in the 1980s.

Carleton's favorite novel is "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," a first-person narrative novel by Sherman Alexie told from the perspective of a 14-year-old budding cartoonist who lives on the Spokane Indian reservation but decides to attend high school off of the reservation. The classic "Tom and Jerry" is Carleton's favorite TV show, while "Trolls" is her favorite movie.

Her favorite modern personalities are Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga, while Violeta Parra and Susan B. Anthony are two of her favorite historical personalities. Parra is acknowledged as "the mother of Latin American folk music," while Anthony was a prominent social reformer and a leader of the women's suffrage movement in the United States.

Besides playing the flute, Carleton also enjoys playing the piano, singing and playing basketball. She's been a member of the Bi-County Honor Band, has been awarded the Student of the Week award, and has been recognized for both her great school and church attendance.

Carleton has cleaned her church every Saturday for five months, has helped out with concessions for the Wheat Land Communities' Fair and has donated blood during the Community Blood Drive.

Katheran Gingrich is Contestant No. 2, and her parents are Janna and Bo Gingrich. Gingrich plans on attending Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, and plans on studying political science.

Gingrich will give a vocal performance for her talent on Saturday. Her favorite song is the late Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," and her favorite musical group is The Tenors, a Canadian vocal group that performs operatic pop music.

"Reign," a historical romantic drama that follows the early exploits of Mary, Queen of Scots, is Gingrich's favorite TV show, while "Les Miserablés" is her favorite play. "The Help," a period drama set during the Civil Rights Movement in Jackson, Mississippi in 1963, is her favorite film.

Carol Burnett and rodeo competitor Amberley Snider are two of Gingrich's favorite modern personalities, while World War II veteran and Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini and Princess Diana are two historical personalities that she admires.

Gingrich enjoys playing both volleyball and tennis during the school year, and participates in the Ritzville Rodeo Youth Drill Team over the summer. She is a lifeguard at the Ritzville Water Park, and a member of the high school Knowledge Bowl Team. She also participates in National Honor Society and is the secretary of the local FBLA chapter.

In both 2018 and 2019, Gingrich placed third in the state at FFA for Agricultural Communications. She was also a top 8 vocal talent at FFA in 2017 and finished in fifth place the next year. She was awarded the LRS tennis Coach's Award last season.

As a member of National Honor Society, Gingrich helped organize the Community Blood Drive. She also helped repaint the sheltered picnic area in the Ritzville Park as a member of FFA.

Contestant No. 3 is Alibama Rushing. Her parents are Erika Ramos and Steven Thompson, and she has three younger brothers-Hunter, Cooper and Greyson-and a sister, Hayley. Rushing plans on attending a four-year university, and aspires to be an Emergency Room nurse.

Rushing's talent that she'll be showing off during the program will be painting. Her favorite song is "Roger Rabbit" by Sleeping With Sirens, while her favorite musical artist is Ed Sheeran. Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise" is her favorite poem.

"The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas is Rushing's favorite novel, her favorite TV show is "The Office," her favorite play is William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" and her favorite movie is "Coraline." Musical artists Lady Gaga and Kesha are two of Rushing's favorite modern personalities, while Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and civil rights activist Rosa Parks are two historical personalities that she admires.

Rushing is involved with cheerleading, FFA, ASB and National Honor Society at Lind-Ritzville High School. She finished first in the state at FFA in Agronomy and in 11th place in the nation. She was the grand champion for livestock at the Ritzville Fair in 2018, and has been placed on Honor Roll every year since 2016.

She has participated in the National Honor Society Food Drive and the Lind-Ritzville FFA Ronald McDonald Supply Drive. She has also donated blood to Inland Northwest Blood Center as a member of Honor Society, and has also participated in "Bikes for Tikes" as an Honor Society member.

Rushing loves to participate in anything art-related, and is an avid reader who likes to write down her thoughts in a journal. She is also interested in medical-related subjects and likes to learn about them.

Taylor Stromberger is Contestant No. 4. Her parents are Nicole and Michael Stromberger, and she has a younger brother, Jonathan. Taylor plans on attending Spokane Falls Community College and wants to pursue a career in special education.

Stromberger will be performing a cheer routine as her talent during Saturday's program. Her favorite song is "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga, who is also her favorite musical artist.

"Dork Diaries" is her favorite novel, while "Bones," a crime procedural dramedy that is based on forensic anthropology and archaeology, is her favorite TV show. William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is her favorite play, while "Crossroads" is her favorite film.

Lady Gaga and Demi Lovato are two of Stromberger's favorite modern personalities, while civil rights activists Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. are two historical personalities that she admires.

Stromberger is active in athletics at Lind-Ritzville High School, participating in cheerleading, volleyball, track and basketball. She has received certificates for her attendance and consistent eligibility, and was also awarded the Spirit Award.

She has donated blood at the Community Blood Drive, and helped the Ritzville Float Association build the Ritzville Community Float. She also helped put flags up at the Ritzville Memorial Cemetery on Memorial Day.

Besides participating in sports, Stromberger also enjoys camping, going to the river and biking.

Contestant No. 5-the final contestant-is Diamond Spain. Her parents are Pete and Diane Spain, and she has an older sister, Chelsea, and a younger brother, Pete. Diamond plans on attending the University of Washington, and wants to become a doctor.

Spain will be delivering a monologue for her talent on Saturday. Her favorite song is "Speechless" by the country music duo Dan + Shay. Her favorite musical artist is Post Malone, and her favorite poem is "Risk" by Anais Nin, which uses a garden metaphor to express a tale of change after turmoil.

"The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green is Spain's favorite novel, while her favorite TV show is "Grey's Anatomy," a medical drama that focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents and attending physicians. "The Wizard of Oz" is her favorite play, and "The Grinch" is her favorite film. Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey are two modern personalities that she admires, while Rosa Parks and Sacagawea are two historical personalities that she thinks highly of.

Spain is a member of FBLA, cheerleading, softball and FFA at Lind-Ritzville High School. She is also a full-time Running Start student at Eastern Washington University in Cheney. She placed in the top 15 at state in FBLA.

She has given blood in the Community Blood Drive, has helped make blankets and has aided in canned food drives. Outside of school, Spain enjoys traveling and watching Netflix.