I'm Maliya Blandford, and I'm honored to be a 2026–2027 Jabberwock Debutante. For 65 years, Jabberwock has helped young women fund their college education through leadership, service, and community work, and I'm proud to carry that tradition forward.

I'm the daughter of Myca Jeter and Thomas Blandford, granddaughter of Emmett and Verona Jeter and Thomas and Beulah Carol Blandford.

I'm a senior in the International Baccalaureate Program at Hillside High School in Durham, carrying a 4.354 weighted GPA. I've started on varsity softball for three years and earned All-Conference honors, and I serve as Sr. Teen Vice President for the Jack and Jill of America Durham Chapter and on its Regional Nominating Committee.

Your gift, at any level, goes directly toward my scholarship fund and helps me get closer to being crowned Miss Jabberwock 2027.

Thank you for your support.

The Jabberwock is a traditional program of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., established in 1925 by the Iota Chapter in Boston, Massachusetts as a unique way of raising money for their scholarship fund. The "Jabberwock" was a whimsical mystical character found in Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, a novel written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, as a sequel to his better-known Alice in Wonderland.

Since 1962, the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has sponsored the Jabberwock Scholarship Program. As Durham Alumnae's primary scholarship fundraiser, the proceeds are used to award college scholarships and enhance community service projects within the local Durham community. Area high school juniors and seniors engage in educational, cultural, social, and personal enrichment activities, as well as community service projects. Participants are also highly active in their own scholarship fundraising activities.

At the end of the fundraising period, the program will culminate in an evening of elegance at the Miss Jabberwock Scholarship Gala. The participant with the largest amount of funds raised will be crowned Miss Jabberwock 2027.

Maliya Carmell Blandford is honored to participate as a 2027 Jabberwock Debutante. Her theme — "Swinging for Scholarship, Poised for the Crown" — reflects both her competitive spirit on the softball field and her commitment to academic excellence and community service.

As a senior in the International Baccalaureate Program at Hillside High School in Durham, carrying a 4.354 weighted GPA, Maliya has demonstrated the kind of dedication and drive that Jabberwock celebrates. Her three years as a varsity softball starter and All-Conference honoree embody the grit and determination she brings to every endeavor — from the classroom to the community.