Kennesaw Mountain High School class of 2021 graduate Destiny Kluck won the national Distinguished Young Women of America Contest for 2021. She competed against young girls from every state in the U.S.to win $30,000 in scholarship money and a gold medallion. 

Destiny began preparing for the contest during her junior year of high school after learning about the contest through a close family friend. According to the Cobb graduate, the scholarship program encourages women to do their best and gives opportunities to women to further their success. 

“I didn’t expect to come this far, but it’s been a fun journey,” Destiney humbly shared. 

The competition focuses on scholastics and the character of young women across the United States. 

Kennesaw Mountain High School prepared her very well for the competition, Destiny said. Being part of the magnet program at the Cobb high school helped her in the scholastic part of the competition. 

Destiny referenced how Kennesaw Mountain really focuses on building the character of the students with programs such as Shop with a Mustang and the Special Ed Dance, all of which Destiny participated in as a student. For Destiny, Kennesaw Mountain’s clubs provided a great help and advantage for her. 

For example, the speech club focuses on public speaking, which helped her in the self-expression part of the competition. 

“Speech club really prepared me to have a quick mindset and respond in a fashionable way that helped me convey my point across eloquently,” Destiny recalled. 

Destiny will continue her educational journey by attending Brandeis University in Boston on a full-tuition ride. She plans to study medicine with the goal of becoming a vascular surgeon.

Before embarking on her bright future, Destiny joyfully reminisced on her time as a student at Kennesaw Mountain High School. 

Her favorite memory at Kennesaw Mountain High School was studying in the cafeteria during finals week. She and her friend were going back and forth, reciting verbatim the material for statistics class. 

“We were studying so hard. I think I remember it so well because somehow, the statistic class made learning so fun. That’s what I enjoyed most about KMHS, studying and laughing with my friends. Although it was a challenging class, I learned that hard work pays off,” Destiny recalls fondly. 

The Kennesaw Mountain graduate credited her high school teachers for preparing her for life after high school. Her teachers encouraged students to be excited about the future while reassuring them that they will always support their students and their futures. Destiny shared a specific example about how Dr. Kelly Ingle, coordinator for the magnet program at KMHS, sent out cards to the magnet students after graduation giving them tips for life after college. For Destiny, she finds it very comforting that her teachers really showed that they care about their students—even after graduation. 

While juggling her academic pursuits, Destiny also focuses on her personal passions, including community service, dancing, research, and fashion! Destiny runs a nonprofit organization called “Foster4Love-Adopt4Life.” During COVID, she sewed over 200 masks for foster youth. She, who has been dancing since she was two years old, plans to continue by joining dance clubs in college. 

Kennesaw Mountain is preparing to welcome students back for the start of a new school year, and Destiny has some advice for the upcoming juniors and seniors at her alma mater. 

“Choose the things you want to do by being passionate about it because it leads you to the direction of happiness. I know I got my accomplishments because I didn’t try to fit a mold. I found myself thinking about what I really want and enjoy in life. I ran Key Club and National Honors Society because of my passion for volunteering. So, I focused the clubs I participated in with my passions in life.” 

You can learn more about the Distinguished Young Women of America Contest here.