March 6, 2019 – By Anita Starchman Bryant, Publicity Chair - The winners of Soroptimist International of Mariposa’s 2019 Live Your Dream Award are Lacey Bean (1st place) and Kacie Freeman (2nd place).
(Pictured l-r): Award Committee Members Juanita Vegely, Tracy DeDore and Patricia Wight, 1st place Winner Lacey Bean, Award Committee Chair Sandy Semtner, 2nd place Winner Kacie Freeman, and Award Committee Member Patricia Perry
The Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards (formerly the Women’s Opportunity Awards) assists women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families by giving them the resources they need to improve their education, skills and employment prospects. Lacey Bean is currently working as an LVN and is pursuing a degree at Merced College in nursing and is ultimately aiming for a BS in nursing. Second place winner Kacie Freeman is already a Certified Nursing Assistant and is starting a 2-year ultrasound technician program at the Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts.
Through Soroptimist International each year, more than $1.6 million in education grants are awarded to more than 1,200 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles. Live Your Dream Awards recipients may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education, such as books, childcare, tuition and transportation.
In addition to providing the primary financial support for their families, eligible applicants must be enrolled in, or have been accepted to, a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program and must demonstrate financial need.
The Live Your Dream Awards involves three levels of cash awards. The program begins at the local Soroptimist club-level, where award amounts vary. Local-level award recipients become eligible for region-level awards of either $3,000 or $5,000. Region-level award recipients then become eligible to receive one of three international-level awards of $10,000.
For more information about Soroptimist International of Mariposa please contact President Oralee Phillips at (209) 966-2740, visit us on-line at simariposa.org or find the Club on Facebook.
Source: Soroptimist International of Mariposa