HOMETOWN

Helena

TOTAL CASH SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

$45,000

UNIVERSITY

Vanderbilt University

CAREER GOAL

Pediatric Neurosurgeon

Helena's Carrington Hodge was named Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2023 at the 66th National Finals in Mobile, Ala.

Carrington is a graduate of Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School. Her academic honors include being named a 2022-2023 CollegeBoard National African American Recognition Program Scholar, AP Scholar, Princeton Prize Certificate of Merit recipient, and more.

Outside of the classroom, Carrington is passionate about education and social justice. The project she devotes most of her time to is an initiative she founded, “Unmasked: The Simone Project.” The project began as a YouthServe assignment that Carrington felt deserved a platform to continue on after the assignment had completed. Through "Unmasked," the organization addresses topics such as minority history, social justice, and current events that may be uncomfortable to study in a classroom environment in an effort to see more substantial education in these areas.

Carrington is passionate about the causes she commits herself to. Asside from social justice and education, Carrington is also extremely passionate about working with children. This love for impacting youth has lead her to become involved in organizations like YouthServe and has influenced her career path in pediatrics.

In the fall, Carrington will attend Vanderbilt University on a pre-medical track, where she will also be on the dance team. She plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in pediatric neurosurgery. After dancing competitively for much of her life, she is most excited about expressing her love for dance in a new way with the team at sporting events and school activities.