Christina Maxwell of North Carolina was named the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012 during the 55th National Finals in Mobile, Alabama on June 30, 2012.

In her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, Christina attended AC Reynolds High School and graduated 3rd in her class of 287 students. She played the lead role in nine musicals throughout her high school career including Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera," Maria in "West Side Story," and Sarah Brown in "Guys and Dolls," just to name a few. Christina was quick to realize that her passion for performing would be more than a hobby and she plans to pursue a career as a Broadway actress.

When she isn't on the stage, Christina can be found working to give a voice to those who society has forgotten, ignored or misjudged. Following her encounter with an instance of domestic violence in her community, she set out to impact the lives  of victims by organizing, producing, marketing and performing in a benefit concert for Helpmate, a domestic violence agency serving Buncombe County, North Carolina. The event raised nearly $8,000 and Christina credits this as a life-changing experience. Christina has also dedicated her time and talents to efforts benefiting the homeless and has served as a Special Olympics volunteer for seven years.

In her free time, Christina enjoys cooking, outlet shopping with her Mom and backpacking. She has trekked 120 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

Winning more than $44,000 in college scholarships and a gold medallion, Christina will serve as the national representative of Distinguished Young Women throughout the year. She is a student in the musical theater program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Christina is the program's second winner from North Carolina and the third young woman to be named the Distinguished Young Woman of America following the program's name change from America's Junior Miss in 2010.

Fun Facts About Christina:

• Christina has one sibling - her 15-year-old brother, Cal.
• She loves coffee, dark chocolate and the occasional InStyle magazine.
• Her favorite subject in high school was AP World History.
• She grew up watching Audrey Hepburn movies and listening to Frank Sinatra.
• She loves all kinds of food and enjoys trying new things from different cultures.
• Her favorite TV show is Smash and favorite movies are The Help, Pride and Prejudice, and How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days
• Her mother, Renee, is an alumna of the Distinguished Young Women program, then Junior Miss. Renee was Cleveland County's Junior Miss in 1981 and second runner-up to North Carolina's Junior Miss that year.

Keep up with Christina throughout the year by following her on Twitter!  

Christina performs a selection from "The Phantom of the Opera" during the National Finals competition in June. Her performance earned her a preliminary award in the talent category.

Katye Brock, Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011, performs during the opening of the 55th National Finals. Thank you to Fancy Fanny's Bridal and Formal Wear for generously providing Katye's wardrobe for National Finals!

Another successful year is down in the books for Distinguished Young Women following the conclusion of the 55th National Finals on June 30, 2012. Scholarship awards were presented to 24 of the 50 participants and all members of the Class of 2012 are also eligible to claim college-granted scholarships from colleges and universities nationwide. Click here to see a complete listing of the 2012 National Finals awards.

We extend our thanks and gratitude to our 2012 National Sponsors!

  To view videos of the activities and events during the two weeks of National Finals, visit Distinguished Young Women on YouTube!

To view and purchase photos from National Finals, visit FusionPoint Media! 

In January, Distinguished Young Women set out to launch a blog featuring inspiring and REAL content for teen girls. We needed some great writers who were up for the challenge and we pitched the idea to the 50 state representatives from 2011. Response was fantastic and 16 members of the Class of 2011 signed on to help us make this idea become a reality.

Since that time, each of these young women have taken time out of their hectic college schedules to write a post, or in some cases, record a quick video to be used on the blog. Their posts were thoughtful, relevant and often humorous, and we are thankful to each of these "distinguished" young women for their commitment and dedication to this project.

Class of 2011 Be Distinguished Blog Contributors

 Katye Brock (Tennessee, Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2011)

Alessa Strelecki (Iowa)

Allii Fontaine (Rhode Island)

Amanda Wineman (Montana)

Ann Clancy (Vermont)

Devin Kerns (Oklahoma)

Gabrielle Walter (New York)

Hannah Roberts (Mississippi)

Jacky Arness (North Dakota)

Kelsey Quinn (Indiana)

Kinsey Crow (Ohio)

Megan Jack (West Virginia)

Rachel Williams (New Mexico)

Rebecca Mitchell (Maryland)

Sydney McIntosh (Alaska)

Veronica Townsend (Delaware) 

We will soon be adding a new group of contributors to the blog from the Class of 2012! Check in often to see the latest posts from these outstanding young women.