Miss Kallie Stoddard Named Caribou County Distinguished Young Woman

Caribou County Distinguished Young Women held their annual program last Saturday night. Supporters enjoyed watching eight wonderful young women from the county showcase their physical fitness, talent, poise, and public speaking skills. Emcees for the evening were Dana McCurdy and the 2024-2025 Distinguished Young Woman, Kate Williams. 

During her final walk around the auditorium with her father, Williams’ presented the following message, which captured the experience many participants have shared as a result of the DYW program: “What has made it so incredible was that I wasn’t the only one that was developing these skills.  Throughout my experience, I have been surrounded by role models.  In Caribou County’s program, I overcame insecurities through the sincere love and unity I felt from the beautiful girls all around me.  At state, that feeling of vulnerability returned when I couldn’t forget that I was just a small-town girl who’d bombed my last mock interview and probably still had potato dirt under my fingernails from harvest.  But girls who lived everywhere from Moscow to Malad became my biggest support group, and their examples of kindness and inclusion continue to inspire me to this day.”

Several awards were determined prior to the competition itself, based on the activities of the participants during the several months of preparation for the final night.  The preliminary awards and  winners were:

Inspire Award: The recipients of this award were given a $200 scholarship. They were Tessica Jorgensen, Molly Renfroe, AmeliaRose Harris, Kallie Stoddard, Kayla Rigby, and Paetyn Hopkins.

Be Your Best Self Award: This award was chosen by the committee. The recipients of this award were given a $500 scholarship. They were Mollie Renfroe and Kayla Rigby. 

Spirit of Distinguished Young Women: This award was selected by the participants. The recipient of this award was given a $450 scholarship. The award went to AmeliaRose Harris. 

A full rehearsal was held on Friday, giving the participants a chance to familiarize themselves with the lights, clothes, stage, and audience.  At the end of Saturday’s main event, in addition to the top 3 DYW places, individual competition category winners were named. 

Fitness Award: The fitness portion comprised 15% of the overall score. The recipients received a $500 scholarship. They were Kallie Stoddard and AmeliaRose Harris.

Self-Expression Award: This category comprised 15% of the overall score. The recipients of this award received a $500 scholarship. They were Kallie Stoddard and Kayla Rigby.

Talent Award: Talent comprised 20% of the overall score. The recipients of this award received a $550 scholarship. The awards went to Mollie Renfroe and Kallie Stoddard.

Scholastic Achievement Award: This category comprised 25% of the overall score. The recipients received a $650 scholarship. Kallie Stoddard and Hayden Ball were the recipients of those awards.

Interview Award: The interview was 25% of the overall score. The recipients of this award received a $650 scholarship. The awards went to Kayla Rigby and Kallie Stoddard.

The 2nd runner up received a $900 scholarship. The winner was Mollie Renfroe.

The 1st runner up received a $1000 scholarship. The winner was AmeliaRose Harris.

At the end of the evening, the Caribou County Distinguished Young Woman title went to Miss Kallie Stoddard. She received a $1200 scholarship and will have the opportunity to represent Caribou County in the state Distinguished Young Women program held in Idaho Falls in October. If named Idaho’s DYW, she will travel to Mobile, Alabama to take part in the DYW National Finals.

Founded in 1958, Distinguished Young Women is a free program that encourages participants to reach their full individual potential. Our mission is to empower young women by providing over $1 billion in scholarship opportunities, connecting with a nationwide network of women, developing their self-confidence, and participating in our Life Skills Workshops that prepare them for success after high school. Local sponsors include the Chadwick Foundation, Caribou County, Bayer, Bear River Electric, Caribou Ford, Caribou Medical Center, City of Soda Springs, Diagnostic Imaging, Itafos, Liberty Chryselr Dodge Jeep Ram, Mountain View Dental, Point S, Rigby Plumbing, Straight Forward, 

Advantge Plus FCU, Gibbs Farm, Idan-ha Indoor Theater, Lallatins, Mountain States Insurance, Perk’s Electric, Sanders Furniture, Scoular Grain, Soda Springs Rotary Club, STAR Physical Therapy, Torgesen and Sons, US Bank, Valley Implement, Custom Iron, and Denny Lee Tire.

National sponsors include Mobile County, City of Mobile, Barbara Barrington Jones Family Foundation, Alabama Power Foundation, Gant Travel Management, Regions Financial Corporation, The Coffeen Family, John Cauley Jeweler, Jostens and Alabama Media Group.

DYW chairperson Myra Leatherman would like to thank the many local community sponsors of the program, especially the Lions Club of Soda Springs. A special thank you to the committee members, parents of the participants, stage and sound crew, and all who supported the 2025 Caribou County DYW program.

Kallie Stoddard joins an amazing group from the last quarter decade, which includes:

2025 Kate Williams; 2024 Genevieve Fullmer; 2023 Hannah Evans; 2022 Lana Burrell; 2021 Maniah Clegg; 2020 Becca Lau; 2019 Reagan Yamauchi; 2018 Megan McCullough; 2017 Danielle Clegg; 2016 Rylee Mansfield; 2015 Maysa Holyoak; 2014 Kelsey Yamauchi; 2013 Brooke Hegemann; 2012 Bethany Christensen; 2011 Marie Settler; 2010 Vanessa Vranes; 2009 Katie McGregor; 2008 Kayla Franson; 2007 Haiden Siepert; 2006 Kiriana Finlayson; 2005 Calista Johnson; 2004 Amanda Martinsen; 2003 Anna Torgesen; 2002 Berlin Kowallis; 2001 Rachael Call; 2000 Jessica Ozburn.