Niceville High Schooler Named Dinstinguished Young Woman of Okaloosa County

In Brief:

🏆 Top Honors: Niceville’s Avary Ritenour named Distinguished Young Woman of Okaloosa County 2026
🎓 Scholarship Winner: Earned $3,750 by winning four out of five judged categories
📣 Community Role: Will represent the program at events throughout the year

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Niceville High School senior Avary Ritenour has been named the Distinguished Young Woman of Okaloosa County for the Class of 2026.

Ritenour competed against 12 other high school seniors from across the county in the annual program, which evaluates participants in five categories: Scholastics (25%), Interview (25%), Talent (20%), Fitness (15%), and Self-Expression (15%).

She earned top scores in four of the five categories—Scholastics, Talent, Self-Expression, and Fitness—and was named the overall winner. Her performance earned her $3,750 in scholarships.

“Avary is an exceptional young person who is very deserving of this honor,” said Niceville High School Principal Charlie Marello. “As well as being one of our top academic students, Avary is a leader amongst her classmates, and we are very proud of her.”

“This experience pushed me way beyond my comfort zone, and I can honestly say I’ve grown so much because of it,” Ritenour said. “For any rising seniors looking to challenge themselves and develop new skills, I’d highly recommend DYW—it’s an incredible opportunity.”

Over the next year, Ritenour and other participants from the Class of 2026 will take part in local community events and public appearances, representing the Distinguished Young Women program and its national outreach initiative, “Be Your Best Self.” The program promotes five principles: Be Healthy, Be Involved, Be Studious, Be Ambitious, and Be Responsible.