Soroptimist's Live Your Dream Award

Soroptimist's annual Live Your Dream (LYD) scholarship awards are a cash award for women who are the head of their household, and have overcome adversity in their life, to pursue higher education. Beyond the cash, we provide continual mentoring, financial, and/or educational support for LYD winners so that they know we are here with them through every step of their journey. 


Meet our seven Soroptimist 2024 Live Your Dream Winners! 


Rachel Trice Beatrice Ogaa Ebony Hill-Washington
  

First Place is......Rachel Trice!

Rachel is attending the University of Minnesota, majoring in food science. She has two children, ages 15 and 2. She attended Culinary Arts in 2007 where she became pregnant with her first child while experiencing intimate partner violence. After working long hours in a kitchen, with little pay, she pivoted to studying food science, with a goal of making a better life for her family. In Rachel's words - she "want(s) to become a Food Scientist and be able to help my community build generational wealth by helping small businesses of color mass produce their items, and help small businesses work together to support their community with fighting food disparity.” Rachel has dealt with personal and family issues and had an amazing reference from her academic advisor, who shared:

“In the six years that I have worked as a TRIO Coach and Academic Advisor, Rachel is one of the most driven, organized, hard working, and positive students that I have met”

“In addition to being a student and parent, Rachel also maintained a few jobs, working one overnight, so that she could study and be present for her children before and after school. I thought this showed a great amount of organization, perseverance and strength.”

Second place - Beatrice Ogaa

Beatrice has two sons and works as a certified nursing assistant while she is attending Minnesota State Technical College in Wadena to study nursing. Her husband and oldest son still live in Kenya, where Beatrice came from, because they have not been able to get visas to come to the US yet. Beatrice supports them financially while working hard at school and at her job. Both of her sons have sickle cell anemia which has significantly impacted the region in Kenya where she comes from. Ignorance about the disease and lack of treatment options is part of what drives her to achieve her dream of becoming a nurse.

Third place - Ebony Hill-Washington

Ebony is attending Minnesota State University in Moorhead to study health services after recently transferring from Century Community College.She has three children, two with disabilities, and she herself has a significant hearing impairment. Despite all these obstacles, Ebony is working to support her family, her children, and to achieve her dream of advancing her career in healthcare. The Soroptimist Live Your Dream scholarship award will help her get there.

Geneva Hawkins Samantha Horn Jewel Stewart
  

Congratulations - Geneva Hawkins

Geneva is attending Century College majoring in business administration. She hopes to open a notary service company and attend law school, after finishing her bachelors degree, to become a business attorney. After experiencing intimate partner violence and leaving an abusive relationship, Geneva is now supporting her child on her own while working and studying. She is thrilled to be a recipient of the Soroptimist Live Your Dream scholarship award.

 

Congratulations - Samantha Horn

Samantha is attending Winona State University, in the Registered Nurse - Bachelors in Science program. She is working towards her degree while working and raising four children as the head of her household. Samantha plans to finish her clinical doctorate in psychiatric mental health nursing and give back to her community as a trauma therapist. She draws from her own experiences as motivation, sharing - “I have a heavy background filled with childhood neglect and abuse. After my daughters were born I promised myself I would model a positive, resilient, loving and determined woman.”

 

Congratulations - Zamzam Jama

Zamzam is attending Century College to study nursing. She is simultaneously working to support her child as a single mother. She left her partner 2 years ago when he tried to stop her from pursuing her education. Zamzam says that the Soroptimist Live Your Dream scholarship award “would enable me to go past the financial and personal obstacles that have characterized my journey thus far and provide me the means to pursue my goals of further education and a satisfying profession.”

Congratulations - Jewel Stewart

Jewel attends Ellsworth Community College to study equine and animal science. Because she cannot afford to lose her current living situation, with affordable childcare and a roommate, she drives 2 hours to attend her classes. Jewel is a first generation high school graduate (her parents did not graduate) and experienced a tumultuous childhood surrounded by alcohol abuse. She had major back surgery in 5th grade, after which she had to relearn how to walk. These adversities in her life have made her more determined than ever to be the first in her family to graduate college and to create a life and career that she and her children can be proud of. The Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award will help her achieve this future and support her 2 children and younger sister.