John Carroll Catholic High School senior Avery Kononchek was awarded second alternate at the 2026 Distinguished Young Women of Alabama competition, which was recently held in Montgomery. During the competition, Kononchek also had preliminary wins in self-expression and talent and took home $2,600 in scholarship awards. The Distinguished Young Women of Alabama program is part of a national scholarship initiative designed to promote and reward scholastic achievement, leadership, and talent among young women.