Two of our 2020 Live Your Dream recipients met with members of Soroptimist International of Conejo Valley, at a local park setting, where our Live Your Dream Chair, Sherry Love, presented them with their long awaited Live Your Dream Certificates of Recognition and gift bags (following appropriate social distancing guidelines).
Both Amber & Rachel have a positive attitude and strong desire to succeed! Congratulations and wishes for a bright future.
In March 2020, Soroptimist International of Conejo Valley selected three local women to receive the Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women. The cash grants, which totaled $3,000, were scheduled to be presented at the March 17th Dinner Award Program at Los Robles Greens. Unfortunately, we were unable to hold that event, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing guidelines that are in place. The recipients received their cash grant awards by U.S. Mail to provide them with much needed financial assistance during this difficult time. We are still hoping to honor these 3 women at a more formal presentation in the future, once the restrictions have been relaxed.
Our first-place recipient, Amber, a Moorpark resident, is currently attending Moorpark College. She is a single mom pursuing her degree in Early Childhood Education. She is also considering a double major in business.
Despite the obstacles of herself being a single mother with a young daughter, Amber is focused on achieving her educational goals as well as personal goals. She hopes to exemplify to her daughter that through hard work and perseverance, no age, gender, financial status or obstacle can hinder one from moving forward in pursuit of their dreams. Amber also hopes to continue to complete her education while her daughter is young and to instill the values that an education offers more opportunities for a door to open and provides the chance of achieving your dream.
“Thank you for sending the cash grant award at such a timely moment considering all happening in the U.S. I’m humble to accept this and truly thankful for now it will help further my dreams!”
Runner-up recipient Rachel is a Thousand Oaks resident and a single mother of two, a deaf daughter and a hearing son, who recently completed her degree at Cal State Northridge. Since her daughter is profoundly deaf and doesn’t verbally speak, Rachel struggled with learning American Sign Language when her daughter was young. She fell in love with deaf culture, the deaf community and American Sign Language and had the desire to give back to the Deaf community who needs her. She completed her AA from Moorpark College and made a choice to return to school to major in Deaf Studies at California State University Northridge. The cash award helped with her expenses for gas, parking and food on the long days on campus, school books and supplies, and some tests related to entering her field of study. To date, she has now received her BA in Deaf Studies from CSUN has taken a job teaching Deaf children in an educational setting.
Runner-up “Hope” is a resident of the Conejo Valley. Through her hard work and dedication, she graduated from a community college with multiple AA degrees and was accepted into a University program with plans to obtain her bachelor’s degree in 2021. ““Education means more than going to class and passing my classes, it means a future for me and my young child. It means opportunities that I never thought were achievable. The obstacles I have faced only made me want to be more educated, continue to help others, and finish school to show my child that anything is possible.”
Eligible applicants are women who are trying to get their lives back on track, build a better life for themselves and their families, through education and skills training. They want to increase their standard of living but lack the financial resources to access the education and training to succeed.
Helping these women improve their education and skills offers them the best chance of improving their lives and the lives of their children—ensuring more positive outcomes for generations to come.
Live Your Dream recipients are women, with dependents, who have overcome obstacles that might include domestic and sexual violence, teen pregnancy, addiction, health issues, the death of a family member, or mental health issues.
The Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education & Training Awards for Women assist 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. This program provides cash grants to women who are working to better their lives through additional schooling and skills training. 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.