Ronderos is a senior at Springville High School, and leaves Friday for Montgomery, where she will be competing against other young women from across Alabama for the title of Alabama’s 2012 DYW. She will be there 10 days.
Ronderos is the 17-year-old daughter of Joseph and Kathy Ronderos of Springville. She turns 18 Jan. 20, which is the first night of preliminaries. She has always attended the Springville schools, has always made straight A’s on her report cards. Her GPA is over 4.0.
“I am really excited and honored to represent St. Clair County,” Ronderos said. “It’s going to be exciting to compete against other girls and meet them and gain new friendships that I know will last a lifetime.”
Ronderos said last year’s St. Clair County DYW Elise Adkins shared with her about the wonderful time she had at the state program.
Ronderos has been St. Clair County’s DYW for six months. During that time, she has been a guest speaker at the Moody Chamber of Commerce and Springville Chamber of Commerce meetings. She also performed at Moody’s Oktoberfest. She also has been recruiting young women throughout the county for next year’s local DYW scholarship program.
“I’ve been to all the local high schools, and have met many wonderful junior girls,” she said. “I hope many will compete, because I am so thrilled I participated in this last year.”
Ronderos already knows whom she will be rooming with while at state. Her roommate will be the 2012 Clay County DYW Alexandra McNatt.
Of all the areas of competition, Ronderos feels she is strongest in fitness and talent. For her talent, she will be clogging to “Follow Me Down” by 3Oh3.
Scholarship opportunities became available when Ronderos won last year’s local DYW program. By winning the St. Clair program, she earned a two-year scholarship to Jefferson State Community college. She has decided to go to Birmingham-Southern.
Kathy Ronderos said she is so very proud of her daughter.
“She has worked very hard throughout her school years, and has set her standards high,” Mrs. Ronderos said. “She has excelled in athletics while maintaining a perfect GPA. She is very active in our church and community. She is a great role model for young ladies and proof that ‘girl power’ goes a long way.”
Kathy Soltis and Melissa Adkins are this year’s co-chairs of the St. Clair County DYW Program for 2012 and are also part of the local DYW committee.
“We are very proud of Anna Marie,” Soltis said. “She has worked hard to prepare for each aspect of competition that she will participate in at the state level. She has had mock interviews, talent practice, fitness training, and studied current events all while maintaining her excellent grades and participating in volleyball and basketball at Springville High School.”
“As she begins her journey at the state program and has this once-in-a-lifetime experience, she will be challenged to continue to grow and strive to become her best self,” Adkins said. “We wish Anna Marie the very best of luck, and we are confident that she will give it her all and represent herself, her family, her school and all of St. Clair County well, and make us proud.”
Contact Gary Hanner at ghanner@thestclairtimes.com.
