Megan Smith is leaving Hartselle on Friday to represent Morgan County in the Alabama Distinguished Young Woman Program in Montgomery next week.

Smith, a Hartselle High School senior, received the title last year after competing against 13 other contestants from Decatur, Trinity, Somerville, Priceville, Falkville and other areas of the county.

“It was a shock (to win the title),” Smith said. “These were 13 of the best people I’ve ever met and to win the title of Morgan County Young Distinguished Woman was a great honor.”

She not only has won the title, but also has the designation of the county’s first Distinguished Young Woman. This program replaced the former Junior Miss scholarship program.

Smith will compete in a number of preliminary competitions next week leading up to the announcement of the top 8 on Sat., Jan. 21, at Frazier United Methodist Church. Some of the competitions include talent, self-expression and interview.

Distinguished Young Women is a national scholarship program that promotes and rewards scholarship, leadership and talent in young women. The participants compete for scholarships.

At the local level, Smith has already won $3,400 in scholarships – $2,400 for winning the county title, $500 for the talent winner and $500 for self-expression winner.

“There is much more scholarship money available at the state level,” Smith said. “There’s so much emphasis placed on your academics because it’s a scholarship program, not a pageant. Twenty-five percent of your score is based on academics.”

While she already has most of her four-year college tuition paid for in scholarships, she’s hoping to win more scholarship money to help pay for graduate school.

Smith, who is the daughter of Jeff and Pam Smith of Hartselle, plans to attend the University of Alabama and study political science and broadcast journalism.