Audrey Chen Named America's Outstanding Young Woman 2026

Audrey Chen from California has been awarded the title of America’s Outstanding Young Woman of 2026 after performing brilliantly at the renowned national scholarship competition. Known for her academic, leadership, talent, physical, and personal qualities, Audrey has proved herself as a remarkable individual among other outstanding candidates at the event.

The Distinguished Young Women Class of 2026 announced the start of the 69th National Finals of the program on Saturday, June 27th, as the beginning of one of the most esteemed scholarship and leadership programs in the country.

Representatives of each state participated in the weeklong activities in Mobile, Alabama, prior to the national finals. The participants competed in the three categories of self-expression, fitness, and talent during the preliminary programs on Thursday and Friday nights. After a morning interview by five judges, scholastics were evaluated based on performance using the criteria of high school academic and test scores.

Key Highlights:

• Audrey Chen of California crowned America's Distinguished Young Woman 2026
• Class of 2026 competed for $136,000 in national scholarship awards
• Finalists showcased excellence in academics, leadership, talent, and fitness

This year's finals came to an end after the final eight contestants were selected to fight it out to be crowned America's Distinguished Young Woman of 2026 following a tough selection process.

In the three nights, members of Class 2026 were able to show their excellence in academics, leadership, fitness, talent, and communication skills while contesting for $136,000 cash scholarships.

This program is structured in such a way that it aims at finding young people who posses balanced personalities. It is for this reason that the Distinguished Young Women program has used a highly comprehensive method of evaluating candidates based on both academic performance and personal and leadership qualities.

The Distinguished Young Women Class of 2026 is made up of deserving finalists that collectively came forward for the 69th DYW National Finals. This organization offers scholarships through America's oldest and largest national scholarship program for young women. This program strives to recognize outstanding accomplishment while fostering leadership qualities and academic excellence. It is a competitive scholarship and personal development program which assesses young women on their scholastic, interviewing, physical fitness, talents, and self-expression skills.

While striking a balance between her studies, leadership roles, and community service, Audrey is an upcoming senior at Campbell Hall School where she is not only the Student Body President but also the Captain of the Varsity Cheer Team as well as the Co-President of the Haiti Club. She will represent the state at the 2026 DYW National Finals in Mobile, Alabama. In the future, Audrey plans on studying finance and data science with an aim of inspiring teenagers to become financially confident.