Lappin shines at N.C. DYW

Mission accomplished – and more.

Lappin’s busy and rewarding week culminated Saturday at the historic Carolina Theatre with the state program. She won a $300 scholarship as part of the Be Your Best Self Award to go along with a $3,500 scholarship and other winnings from being named the Roxboro Distinguished Young Woman in September.

“It was life-changing in a lot of ways,” Lappin said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to a part of my whole life growing up around the program. Being on the stage instead of someone in the audience was surreal. I’ve always looked up to the older girls on the stage and finally being that person, that role model was pretty amazing.”

Lappin certainly had plenty of familiar faces cheering her on.

According to Roxboro DYW co-chair Allison Thomas, 130 people from Person County made the trip to Greensboro for the program, including nine former Roxboro DYW representatives and the majority of the 2023 class from the local program.

Lappin said she could feel that love from the stage.

“Having that community support and everyone cheering was amazing,” Lappin said. “When I went on stage and said, ‘Zane Lappin, Roxboro,’ you could hear the biggest cheers from the audience. Throughout the process, I had so many people texting me and sending letters, telling me how proud they were of me. Having that backbone of support was so great.”

Thomas expressed how proud she was with how Lappin represented the local program and the community in Greensboro.

“Zane Lappin is a shining example of what the Distinguished Young Women’s program embodies,” Thomas said. “My co-chairman (Jeanne Webster) and I, as well as our committee, the Jaycee organization and our community could not be prouder of how beautifully she represented all of us in Greensboro. Her talent, her intelligence and her radiant personality shined so brightly on the stage at the Carolina Theatre and we know this is only the beginning of all the tremendous accomplishments she has to look forward to.”

A busy week

Lappin’s state DYW experience began with a sendoff in front of her teachers and classmates at Roxboro Community School and involved far more than just rehearsals and program prep.

During her week in Greensboro, Lappin and the other DYW participates visited the International Civil Rights Center and Museum and spoke at a couple of schools in the Triad.

Lappin said that one of the most fulfilling experiences of her time there was speaking to students at Bessemer Elementary School about the importance of being ambitious.

She, and her roommates, helped the students draw and fill out books explaining what being ambitious means to them.

The DYW participants were also involved in several service projects, including touring Victory Junction – a sprawling 84 acre camp in Randlemen that serves as a camp for children with serious medical conditions and disabilities. While there, they made fleece blankets for future campers.

Lappin couldn’t help but smile as she detailed her time participating in both the local and state DYW programs.

“If any girl has the opportunity to do this, I think they should,” Lappin said. “You learn and gain so many new skills. We have a big group coming up next year, and I was telling them that there’s nothing you can lose from being involved in this. You’re only going to gain new skills. I, personally, gained a lot of confidence. I’ve been pretty shy. Throughout the years you see other people who were involved in it coming back and helping. You can see them impact it truly leaves in people.”