BOUNTIFUL — Pneumonia did not deter 18-year-old Kaitlin Paxton of Bountiful from participating in the Distinguished Young Woman of Utah competition in January in Draper.
Prevailing through the illness paid off for Paxton when she was awarded the title of 2012 Distinguished Young Woman of Utah at the end of the two-day competition.
The possibility of winning was the furthest thing from her mind on the day she traveled to the competition; she could barely get out of bed.
She spent the first two days of the rehearsal week at home recuperating from the pneumonia before joining the other 27 competitors from across the state. Although her fever had dissipated and she was no longer contagious, she was still wracked with extreme fatigue and coughing fits.
“It was hard getting through those rehearsals and the coughing and tiredness would wear me down. But the girls helped me learn everything I missed,” said Paxton. “I lost more than six pounds and looked like a twig.”
However, her dance training kicked in and helped her complete the program routines.
“The dancer within me showed through and I could do everything even with the sickness,” said Paxton.
The judges were not aware of her illness, and Paxton made sure to take her medicine right before the interviews, so she wouldn’t have trouble with coughing fits.
Formerly known as the Junior Miss program, the Distinguished Young Woman program is the largest and oldest program for high school girls, providing numerous scholarship awards.
Paxton was awarded $6,200 in cash scholarships and the opportunity to advance to the 55th annual national finals held this June in Alabama.
Contestants are judged in five categories; scholastics, interview, fitness, self-expression, and talent.
Her illness likely helped her and her family not worry so much about who was going to win. During the week, her mom said they were only focused on trying to get her through the week.
“The program is about being your best self, and she was doing everything she could possibly do to actually present her best self even when she was feeling so sick and had lost all of her adrenaline and energy,” said her mom, Michelle Paxton.
Illness aside, the family went into the program not anticipating a win, but viewed it as an opportunity to learn and grow, exactly what Kaitlin Paxton says was the best part of the experience.
“The Distinguished Young Woman program motivated me to reach my greatest potential and be my best self and do things I never would have considered before,” said Paxton, referring to things such as improving in her advanced placement classes at Woods Cross High School and trying out for the Sterling Dance Scholar program.
“I don’t know if I would have done those things if I hadn’t pursued this program,” said Paxton. “It has not only provided me with money for the future, but is letting me grow and develop into someone better.”
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