Soroptimist International of Parker held their annual “Live Your Dream Awards” luncheon and awards ceremony April 23 at the Community Center at Arizona Western College in Parker. Awards and scholarships were presented to women and girls who are making a difference for themselves and their community.

The first award presented was the Making a Difference for Women Award. The recipient was Connie Hoff of Colorado River Regional Crisis Services, but she was not able to attend the ceremony.

As described in the program for the event, this award “honors women who, through their professional or personal efforts, are making extraordinary differences in the lives of women and/or girls. Their work has a significant impact, and also inspires and encourages other women to live their dreams.”

The second award presented was the “Live Your Dream” award. There were two recipients, Bianca Viloria and Ashley Stewart. This award is presented to women who seek to improve their socio-economic status through training or education. It is intended to help offset the costs associated with these efforts. The local award is $3,000, but region and federation awards can reach up to $20,000.

Several high school girls received scholarships. The Esther Beaver/Soroptimist Scholarship honors young women ages 16 to 19 whose activities help make their communities a better place. To be considered, an applicant must maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or better, must be involved in one volunteer activity and write an essay on problems they have overcome.

The 2024 recipients of the Esther Beaver scholarship included Ollie Nolan, Kaniece Thomas, Analicia Monroy, Lacey Byrd and Jaisveen Kaur. It was noted Nolan could not attend the ceremony as she is a student at Salome High School. The presenters, Kit Furnell and JoJo VanAnrooy, said it was great to see students from outlying areas of the county becoming involved in these programs.

Two girls received “S” Club Scholarships, Mattie Baldnegro and Addyson Day. The “S” Club at Parker High School is affiliated with the Parker Soroptimists and is part of the Soroptimists’ organization for high school students.

Soroptimist International of Parker is part of the international Soroptimists organization, which includes women in leadership positions in the public and private sectors from around the world. The Parker club was founded in 1965 by Esther Beaver. Soroptimists work together to improve the lives of women and girls through programs that promote economic and social empowerment.