Four are presented here
Jill
Alexander Jill Alexander is sponsored by American Legion Post #55 and Auxiliary. Jill is the daughter of Roger and Stephanie Alexander. She has two brothers, Dennis and Conner, and three sisters, Caitlin, Holly and Ella. After graduation, Jill plans to attend college, but has not decided on a specific career path yet. Extracurricular activities she enjoys include Soccer, Choir, reading, writing, and running.
A modern personality that interests Jill is Emma Stone, while a historical figure that interests her is Amelia Earhart. Jill will be singing and dancing to "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," from the musical South Pacific for the talent portion of the program.
When asked what makes Jill most proud of her generation, she states, “I am most proud of our ability to rally around a specific cause.”
Samantha Branson
Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce is proud to sponsor Samantha Branson. Samantha is the daughter of
Patti Branson, and has three brothers, David,
Jordan, and Kenny. Samantha aspires to attend
college where she plans to study Child
Development. One historical figure that
interests Samantha is Rosa Parks. She is also
intrigued by modern personalities Bethany
Hamilton and Amberley Snyder.A few of the extracurricular endeavors that keep Samantha active include Cheerleading, Yearbook, boating, fishing, and spending time with her family. For her talent, Samantha will be entertaining the crowd with a cheer routine.
When asked what makes Samantha least proud of her generation, she states, “I am least proud of our use of technology and how we let it interfere with our relationships with people.”
Jennah
SmithMoyie Shrine Club is happy to sponsor Jennah Smith. Jennah is the daughter of Hsiaoju Smith. She has one brother, Pete. Jennah plans to attend San Diego State University where she will study Nursing. She participates in the Yearbook and Advanced Choir.
Abraham Lincoln is a historical figure that fascinates her. For her talent, Jennah will be signing the song “Flashlight” as sung by Jessie J.
When asked what makes her most proud of her generation, she states, “We don’t give up and we don’t show fear.”
Alaina White
Alaina White is sponsored by the Bonners Ferry Rod Benders. She is the daughter of Collette White and
Michael Burnside. She has four brothers,
Anthony, Timothy, Evan, and Shaun, and five
sisters, Katie, Emma, Shayna, Harley-Athena, and
McKenzie. Alaina plans to attend Seattle
University in order to later pursue a career as
a criminal profiler. In her spare time, Alaina enjoys riding horses, writing, being outdoors, and spending time with her family. She is also a member of Foreign Language Society.
When asked what makes her least proud of her generation, Alaina cites social media issues including the overuse of “selfies,” hashtags, and abbreviations.
More information and photographs of the other participants in this year's Distinguished Young Women will be coming soon.