Falon Cornwell Competes for 2020 Distinguished Young Woman May 16, 2020 Dayton, TN   --  Falon Cornwell is daughter of Chad and Lynn Cornwell and sibling to Brock and Piper Cornwell.  She is one of 15 competitiors in the 2020 Distinguished Young Woman Program that begins tonight at Rudd Auditorium on campus of Bryan College without family, friends or audience because of restrictions on gathering because of covid-19.  Falon attended Frazier Elementary, and Rhea County High School with stop at home for homeschooling until her junior year at Rhea County High School, which was a partial homeschooling year.  She plans on attending the Universit of Tennessee at Knoxville and major in Forensics Science.  She will be dancing for her talent, something she has been dong for 14 years. Falon answered a few questions for Rhea County Magazine. Who was your favorite teacher in school? "My favorite teacher , if I had to choose one , would have to be Mrs.Schwenk for helping me discover my love for math." What portion fo the program are you most nervous about? "I am most nervous about the interview portion of the program. I’ve never been really good at speaking to others , but hopefully this experience will help me become more confident and comfortable when talking to others." Do you have a favorite saying, quote or bible verse? "My favorite bible verse is Proverbs 11:2 which reminds us that all praise goes to God , not ourselves." How has the covid-19 affected your school year? "With the whole pandemic going on we were all asked to stay home with our families. Used to my family was all the time separated because of sports and what not so we never really got to sit down and spend time with each other. Covid-19 really brought my family together." What are some of your outside interests and hobbies? "I have been working as a dance instructor at Center Stage Dance Company for the past three years now and I absolutely love it. I am also a cheerleader for Rhea County High School." What motivated you to compete in the DYW program? "I decided to do the program , because I could really use some scholarship money. Also , I wanted to learn some life skills that I’m going to need for college and later on in life." Have you taken up any new interests or hobbies during the covid-19 forced break from school? "Over our break for Covid-19 I have started to write poetry and learn how to bake." Is there a talent you don't have that you would like to have? "One talent I would like to have would be to be able to play the didgeridoo.  I just looks and sounds really cool too me."  (The didgeridoo is a wind instrument made from hollow wood. The first didgeridoos, played by aboriginal peoples in northern Australia an estimated 40,000 years ago). What advice do you have for juniors next year as to why they should compete in the DYW program? "Juniors really should participate in DYW because you end up doing things that you told yourself you could never do which leads you to becoming more confident in yourself." Do you have favorite song and book? "My favorite song right now is “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle, and by my favorite book would have to be “Don’t Lie” written by Timothy Edward Poulsen."