March 22, 2018 - The winners of Soroptimist International of Mariposa’s 2018 Live Your Dream Award are Lily Fluharty (1st place) and Barbara Milazzo (2nd place).
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. Fluharty attends Merced College with the goal of becoming an elementary teacher. Second place winner Milazzo is currently completing an internship to obtain her California State paralegal certificate.
(Pictured l-r): Award Committee Member Dee Carr, 2nd place Winner Barbara Milazzo, Award Committee Chair Sandy Semtner, 1st place Winner Lily Fluharty, holding her son James, and Award Committee Member Patricia Perry
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 Debbie Lester at (209) 374-3214, visit us on-line at simariposa.org or find the Club on Facebook.
Article by Anita Starchman Bryant, Publicity Chair
