Third Consecutive Pacific Ridge School Student Named San Diego Regional Finalist in Distinguished Young Women Competition for the Class of 2013

CARLSBAD, CA, June 30, 2012 (Press-News.org) Ciara Corbeil, a junior at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, has been named a San Diego Regional Finalist in the Distinguished Young Women competition. Ciara will join four other contestants to compete at the state final in July. Ciara is the third student in three consecutive years from Pacific Ridge School to be honored at the state level in the program. She follows in the footsteps of Anisha Mudaliar in 2010 and Rachel Latterich in 2011.

Distinguished Young Women are recognized for scholastic achievement, community involvement, creativity and the quest for excellence in every facet of life. All of the young women compete in five categories: fitness, interview, scholastic, self-expression and talent. The Distinguished Young Women of America program state finals offer the winner the overall title, as well as scholarship money.

To compete in the five categories, Ciara provided school transcripts, wrote essays, learned several fitness routines, participated in interviews in front of a board, gave speeches, and performed a three-minute Shakespearean monologue for her talent. She not only won the title of Distinguished Young Woman of Oceanside, she also received a scholarship in the interview category.

Ciara's recent academic achievements include:
- Academic Excellence Award, 2011, 2012
- First Team all CIF Women's Volleyball, 2011
- Earned $1,000 seed grant for service in India, 2011
- Coach's Award for leadership-volleyball, 2011
- Third Place 9th Grade Oratory Contest, 2010
- Honor the Game Sportsmanship Award-volleyball, 2010
- Dean's List-7th-11th grades
- Sociedad Espanola Honoraria
- Harvard Book Award

In addition, Ciara's extracurricular activities include: volleyball, track, lacrosse and soccer; theater; competitive a cappella; service learning work, including a nutrition program in India and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship; Model United Nations, chair and crisis team leader; academic league; and tutoring for children with disabilities.

The Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program, formerly America's Junior Miss, spans the country, with more than 5,000 of the nation's brightest and most talented young women participating at the local, state and national levels each year. It is the oldest and largest national scholarship program of its type for high school females. Distinguished Young Women inspires high school females to develop their full, individual potential through a fun, transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments. The program encourages continued education by providing college scholarships, develops self-confidence and the ability to interview effectively; encourages and showcases excellence in academic achievement, physical fitness, on-stage performance skills, and the ability to think and communicate clearly; and creates opportunities to beneficially inspire the lives of others. Headquartered in Mobile, Ala., Distinguished Young Women has provided life-changing experiences for more than 700,000 young women and more than $92 million in cash and college-granted scholarships, with previous participants and winners that include Diane Sawyer, Dr. Kiersten Richkenbach, Deborah Norville, Kim Bassinger, Debra Messing, Dr. Linda Rutledge and Judge Kay Kingsley. The program is supported by the more than 17,000 volunteers across the nation, and sponsors which include Regions Bank and Carlsbad-based Jazzercise, Inc.

For more information about the Distinguished Young Women program, visit http://www.distinguishedyw.org. For more information about Pacific Ridge School, visit http://www.pacificridge.org.

About Pacific Ridge School:
Opened in the fall of 2007, Pacific Ridge School is a non‐profit, independent middle and high school located in the North County, San Diego. With the distinctive mission of building a community that fosters academic excellence, ethical responsibility and global engagement, Pacific Ridge offers a first-rate educational experience to prepare students for college and a purposeful life. For more information, visit http://www.pacificridge.org. Pacific Ridge School does not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, sexual orientation, race, creed, or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and other administered programs.

About Distinguished Young Women:
Founded in 1958 in Mobile, Alabama, Distinguished Young Women is the largest and oldest national scholarship program for high school girls. It has provided life-changing experiences for more than 700,000 young women across the country and more than $93 million in cash scholarships at the local, state and national levels. In addition to cash scholarships, Distinguished Young Women participants are eligible for college-granted scholarships from almost 200 colleges and universities. More than $108 million in college scholarship opportunities were provided last year, some of which included full tuition, room, and board to first-class institutions. Many participants leave the program with scholarships to help them with their college educations, but all of them walk away with friendships, life skills and increased self-confidence. Distinguished Young Women strives to give every young woman the opportunity to further her education and prepare for a successful future. For more information, visit http://www.distinguishedyw.org.