On June 24, a recent Chandler BASIS graduate competed for a national honor.

While Hiyun Lee of Chandler didn’t place among the top four in a national scholarship competition, held in Mobile, Ala., she did bring home some college money. Lee was one of five state representatives chosen to receive a scholastics award during the final night of competition at the 66th Distinguished Young Women National Finals.

The $1,000 cash scholarships were presented to five of the 50 state representatives receiving the highest scores based on their academic transcripts and standardized test scores.

Following an Arizona selection process, Lee began preparing for the national competition in Alabama. There were two evenings of preliminary competition, with awards presented the third day.

Lee plans to attend the University of Arizona and become a medical advisor and cardiothoracic surgeon. She is the daughter of Julie Hwang and Seungjong Lee.

Carrington Hodge of Helena, Ala. was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2023 and presented with a $40,000 cash scholarship. A total of $155,000 in total cash scholarships were awarded during the three-night competition.

Founded in 1958, Distinguished Young Women is a free program that encourages participants to reach their full individual potential.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.