Cotillion

Cotillion is a youth development and scholarship program designed to enhance the academic, cultural, social, and civic awareness of the selected high school seniors. The six-month program is a part of Delta Sigma Theta’s national Five-Point Programmatic Thrust and culminates in a Formal Presentation and Scholarship Program. Since its inception, this amazing program has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to nearly 1,000 high school seniors from the Kansas City metropolitan area.

This 2025 40^th anniversary “Ruby Red” year included special additions to the program, such as a holiday and reunion reception for the past Cotillion participants, special pages in the souvenir journal dedicated to past Cotillion classes and former Cotillion General Chairs, and a special $1,000 in scholarship money for the top overall winner.

During the Talent Showcase on March 2, 2025, the participants were able to display their many wonderful talents including several distinct types of dances, musical instruments, spoken word, paintings, song performances and even a live demonstration on how to care for sports injuries. The selection was difficult and competitive but the top winners were chosen.

• Third place winner was Miss Bria Dawson who played a piano selection.
• Second-place winner was Miss Aaliyah Lee who performed a dance routine
• First-place Talent Showcase winner was Miss Taelor Helms who performed a dance routine

The Formal Presentation and Scholarship Program took place on Saturday, April 19, 2025. This year’s program was held in the Count Basie Ballroom at the Downtown Marriott Hotel and featured a formal presentation of each participant, which included four males and sixteen females.

The newest scholarship, the Mrs. Bernice Miller Lambda Epsilon Scholarship named in honor of Mrs. Miller was awarded to a participant who is attending one of the Kansas City metropolitan area colleges/universities in the fall of 2025. This scholarship along with the annual Mrs. Helen Ragsdale Educational Scholarship Award, and the annual Mrs. Jessie Carpenter Historical Black College and University (HBCU) Scholarship Award were presented to three very deserving participants.

• The Bernice Miller Lambda Epsilon Scholarship – Mr. Tyron Paige attending Missouri Western.
• The Helen Ragsdale Educational Scholarship – Miss Taelor Helms for her strong desire to make a difference in the educational field.
• The Jessie Carpenter HBCU Scholarship – Miss Peyton Garner attending Xavier University.

The evening culminated with the awarding of over $44,000 in college scholarships. This year’s scholarship winners were:

• Top Overall Winner – Taelor Helms
• 1st Runner Up – Sydney Pendleton-Mitchem
• 2nd Runner Up – Jadynne Mitchell

Additional awards:

• Social Justice Essay Competition: 1st place Taelor Helms, 2nd place – Jada Houston
• Top Academic Scholarship: 1st place – Jadynne Mitchell, 2nd place – Julia Jones
• Community Service Scholarship: 1st place – Taelor Helms, 2nd place – Jadynne Mitchell
• Fundraising Scholarship: 1st place – Nyla Allen, 2nd place – Peyton Garner, 3rd place – Jamie Johnson
• Ticket Sales Scholarship: 1st place – Taelor Helms, 2nd place – Sydney Pendleton-Mitchem
• Souvenir Journal Ad Scholarship: 1 st place – Bria Dawson, 2nd place – Sydney Pendleton-Mitchem, 3rd place – Taelor Helms, 4th place – Phaelin Jones

The Cotillion 2025 General Chairs were Lori Butler and Nola Faulkner

A huge congratulations to our 2025 Cotillion participants; we want to thank you for being amazing. Continue to strive for success and many blessings in your future endeavors.