The Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women provides women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families with financial resources to offset costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training.  Recipients can use the award for tuition, books, childcare, transportation or any other education-related expense.

Amanda Araujo has been selected as the first place recipient for SIO.  Amanda is a former foster youth and a single mother whose son has been diagnosed with Autism.  Amanda will receive her AA Degree from Oxnard College this spring and plans to transfer to California State University Fresno to major in communicative disorders, with an emphasis on speech pathology.    She is inspired to help other children like her son. Amanda has also been selected as the first-runner up for the Camino Real Region Live Your Dream Award.  She will be recognized at the Region Spring Conference in Pasadena on May 15.

Two second place awards will also be presented.  Mariah Bergeon has a goal to become a school guidance counselor working primarily with high school age youth in a school serving low income or “at risk” youth.  She will graduate in May with a BA in Psychology and hopes to pursue a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Guidance  at CLU.  Mariah is a single mom with a young son.  Alicia Nichols is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences at CSUCI and waiting to enter the nursing program to achieve her lifelong dream to become a nurse.  Alicia is a single mom of a young daughter.

Founded in 1921, Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women working to improve the lives of women and girls.  Chartered in 1945, Soroptimist of Oxnard provides volunteer and philanthropic service to the community of Oxnard, Ventura County, and worldwide.   

For more information, visit http://oxnardsoroptimist.org/ . To attend one of our  meetings as a guest, call 805.814.6884 or email [email protected].