The Competition

What do a girl whose mother crossed the border as a teen and an 18 year old who just won the Republican primary have in common? The Competition. Did you know that every summer, 50 of the nation’s best and brightest high school seniors—one from every state—descend on Mobile, Alabama to take part in the country’s most lucrative scholarship competition exclusively for teen girls?The Competition takes you behind the scenes of the Distinguished Young Women program (formerly known as America’s Junior Miss) and follows seven radically different teenage girls as they experience the highs and lows of competing for two weeks. But, what happens when a Supreme Court decision catapults all 50 girls into the center of a nationwide debate about their rights as women in America? After fighting for months to make it to nationals to take home the $40,000 top prize, the girls are faced with a tough decision: do they speak up for their political beliefs or do they stay focused on winning the money? And what might this mean for their futures – and their friendships? Host Shima Oliaee (Dolly Parton’s America, Pink Card) was Nevada’s contestant in 2001. More than 20 years later, she returns to Alabama as a judge. Binge all episodes of The Competition exclusively and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-competition/ now.