Stone County local, Grace Ann Courtney, named Mississippi’s 2025 Distinguished Young Woman

Grace Ann Courtney from Stone County was named Mississippi’s 2025 Distinguished Young Woman.

An amazing academic record, a 10-minute interview, talent, and more. This is what it takes to win a college scholarship from the distinguished young women competition.

Grace Ann, a Mississippi School of Math and Sciences student and upcoming graduate with big goals —  decided to take a shot at that scholarship.

“Scholastics are a huge part of myself and a huge part of my daily life,” Courtney said. “I kind of just wanted to put myself out there because I’ve never really done anything of this size before, and I wondered if I could be successful at it.”

Little did Grace Ann know she would win over the judge’s heart and win the entire competition.

Now, she’s found herself on a new journey as she heads to the DYW national competition next June.

“I was convincing myself that I didn’t belong there as much as the other girls, but that’s really what I’m going to try to keep in mind at nationals. That no one else is any more of a more qualified candidate than I am for this position.”

As Grace Ann prepares for nationals, she will serve as a representative for young women in Mississippi to be ambitious.

“It’s so good to represent a state and represent it well. And to be a role model to these young girls and show them that they are smart and they are capable. Just because they’re from Mississippi doesn’t mean they’re anything less than.”