Trenton & Downriver Area Soroptimists' Annual Awards Banquet

Six women were recognized with monetary awards from the Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimists for their ambition and contribution to their communities. The awards banquet was held on February 27th at the Grecian Center in Southgate. Some of the essay judges were in attendance to celebrate with the winners. The applicants were evaluated on a set criteria and essays that assessed their contributions to women and society.

Soroptimist is an international organization of almost 1,500 clubs in nineteen countries for and by dedicated women who use their collective power to help other women and girls transform their physical, mental, and emotional lives and the lives of their families. Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimist is a volunteer group that offers service by way of fundraising and donations, public awareness/educational programs, and hands-on assistance; as well as presenting yearly monetary awards to individuals to help support and further their future. These women give their time and talents to local food pantries, Vista Maria, First Step, Sparrow Project, Stanford House, Alternatives for Girls, and to area women’s health institutions. They host annual charity fundraisers and programs such as “Save the Girls” motorcycle ride, “Save the Girls” charity golf outing, "Battle for Freedom," and the “Dream It, Be It” program for adolescent girls.

The Virginia Wagner Educational Award is given to a woman aspiring to complete a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree to enable her to reach her career goals. Judging is based on a weighted criteria for judging that includes scholarship, extra-curricular activities, need, and effort toward education. The Virginia Wagner chairperson is Fallon Donovan.

Elizabeth Johnson is a justice activist, currently pursuing a master’s in social work at Wayne State University, where she maintains an overall 4.0 GPA, after receiving magna cum laude honors when she completed her bachelor’s degree in social work in 2022. Throughout her professional career, she has occupied several different roles, recently helping to implement a 501c(3) program plan to create affordable housing inventory for homeless, extremely low-income individuals in metro Detroit. She also spent a great deal of time in social work education research, working with youth as a volunteer and child advocate in several different capacities.

In addition to working on her master’s degree, Ms. Johnson is involved with several professional affiliations. She is currently the founder and co-president at Wayne State University’s School of Social Work, Social Work Disability Justice Coalition. She is also a student member of the National Association of Social Workers, Taylor Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force, Downriver Anti-Trafficking Coalition, and Families Against Narcotics.

Ov’ Var’Shia Gray-Woods is completing her master’s degree in social work in May at Wayne State University, where she maintains a 3.83 GPA. Along with being a full-time student, she has been a delegate liaison for the National Foster Youth Institute, a ten-month program which resulted in shadowing Congress in Washington, D.C. She was also president of the Empowering Foster Youth through Technology program, was named one of the Top 20 Most Influential Black Detroiters Making History under the age of twenty-five by the Skillman Foundation, and is a member of the Wayne State Champions Aspiring to Make Pathways to Success program. CHAMPS is a campus-based support program serving under-privileged students who have aged out of or spent time in foster care. Ov’Var’Shia is a single mother of a daughter. Her goal is to be a strong community leader in Michigan, promoting social justice, advocating for urban communities, and upholding her personal and professional core values while leading by example for her daughter.

The Live Your Dream Education and Training Award was established in 1972 to provide monetary assistance to women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families to obtain the skills-training or undergraduate degree program necessary to improve their employment status and standard of living for themselves and their family.

Each year, over $3 million is awarded to more than 1,800 women in Soroptimist’s member countries and territories. The women receiving these financial awards may use them for any costs associated with their educational efforts, including tuition, books, childcare, and transportation, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence, the death of a spouse and/or substance abuse. The Live Your Dream chairperson is Nancy Nagle.

The first recipient is Marquita Diaz, from Ecorse. Marquita is a single mother of four children, ages fourteen, nine, six, and four. She is completing her professional certification training as a licensed practical nurse from Detroit Business Institute, while maintaining a 3.5 GPA. She intends to continue her studies to become a registered nurse, practicing in pediatrics with an emphasis on helping to heal critically ill children and offer support to grieving parents. While she tried to balance her family life, work, and schooling, she lost her job, and then her home, which added to the strain; but she persisted in working toward her dream career, depending on distant relatives to help her family for the first time. An instructor stated that Ms. Diaz modeled professionalism when encountering an angry patient on the first day of her clinicals, engaging in a successful therapeutic communication to resolve the problem.

The second winner is Monique Owens from East Pointe, the mother of twin fifteen-year-old girls, who is completing studies as a certified nursing assistant at Genanacot Services Nursing School in Detroit. This is a stop-gap career as she Intends to continue her studies in the healthcare or theological sector. She has completed in the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification program through Central Michigan University. This is a three-credit course that develops project management, problem-solving, and analytic skills to aid in a successful career. Her challenges have been the strain of balancing single parenthood, sleepless nights, financial instability; and balancing work, school, motherhood, and personal growth. One of her references stated that Monique exhibits leadership skills, emotional intelligence, integrity, and ethics.

The Soroptimist Prime Award is exclusive to SI of Trenton and Downriver Area. High school girls residing in Allen Park, Brownstown, Ecorse, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven, or Wyandotte are eligible to apply. The Soroptimist of Trenton and Downriver Area high school girls’ award honors young women who make the community and world a better place through volunteer efforts. $1000 winners are from Woodhaven High School. Pat Bryan is the Soroptimist Prime chairperson.

Senior, Kadence Holladay, quotes Mother Teresa: “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” Kadence joined the Interact club during her sophomore year because their mission embodied that quote. Kadence attended every meeting and began to help organize different fundraising events and was elected president during her senior year.

Some of the club’s projects included a clean-up of the outside of Woodhaven High School; hosting an “Apple for Ryan” fundraiser in conjunction with the Woodhaven Kiwanis by donating canned goods to soup kitchens and pantries to help the homeless; coordinating a dress drive so that girls could discreetly find a dress for school dances; a used Halloween costume drive for local children, and also to distribute to the girls at Vista Maria and give them a trunk-or-treat party; and collecting items for Thanksgiving baskets to hand out to those in need.

Klaire Wilson, also a Woodhaven High School senior, was adopted through the America World Adoption Association which is located in Washington DC and serves to build families through domestic and international adoptions. Through this organization, Klaire’s passion for helping orphans began after her mission trip to Ethiopia.

One of the orphanages she visited was an all-girls orphanage, with ages ranging from six to eighteen-years-old. Girls are forced out of the orphanage at a certain age and left with nothing to fend for themselves. Often the girls are met with unsavory people awaiting them outside the gate to take the girls with malintent.

The America World Adoption Association created a smaller organization called Bete Hosanna, which means “house of hope.” The purpose of Bete Hosanna is to house girls that age out of the orphanage so that they have a place to go after they are forced out. While the girls stay at Bete Hosanna, they learn many different life skills so that they can live on their own once they complete their phase at Bete Hosanna. Twelve to fifteen girls at a time stay at this house, and all of them learn how to cook for each other, go to school, or learn a trade.

While in Ethiopia, Klaire went to markets to buy leather for the girls to make earrings to sell, and she put together bags for the girls that included many toiletry and hygiene items that they do not have. At home afterwards, Klaire’s raised $600 for her sixteenth birthday to send to the Ethiopian girls for driving lessons and help them get jobs.

You can help improve the lives of women and girls in the Trenton and Downriver Areas and around the world by donating to Soroptimist International of Trenton and Downriver Area. Your donation will help fund our service projects. This is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Make an online donation via Venmo or by sending a check to Soroptimist International of Trenton and Downriver Area, 1644 Vernon, Trenton, MI 48183.

The Trenton Soroptimist organization meets at 6:30 P.M. on the first Wednesday of the month at the Woodhaven Community Center. All women are welcome to attend. You may contribute to the foundation that the Soroptimists support on krogercommunityrewards.com. If you are interested in learning more about the Trenton and Downriver Area Soroptimists and our other activities, contact us at sioftrentonanddownriverarea@gmail.com or check out our page on Facebook@SoroptimistInternationalOfTrentonAndDownriverArea.