Soroptimists award $15,500 in scholarship grants

VISTA – On a bright, sunny day at the beginning of March, Soroptimist Vista and North County Inland hosted a Live Your Dream Awards Picnic at Alamosa Park in Oceanside to announce four recipients of the 2022 Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award.

These awards are given each year to qualifying women who have faced obstacles such as violence, poverty, and teen pregnancy and are attending college or trade school to achieve economic empowerment and provide a better life for themselves and their families.

Each Soroptimist club then chooses one of their awardees to be eligible to apply for an additional Region award and possibly a larger award at the national level.

The outdoor event brought together the new and past awardees and their families. Raising Cane's of Vista generously donated their famous chicken fingers, coleslaw and Texas toast for the picnic, and Dr. Bronner's provided gift baskets for the attending awardees.

This year, SI Vista NCI was able to give a total of $15,500 to four women, two who live and attend local colleges, Rebecca Villalobos and Jasmine Davis, and two out of area, Diana Diaz, (who is originally from San Marcos but relocated to Modesto after being accepted into a nursing program there), and Amy DeMar Sifuentes, who is based in rural New Mexico.

After a bite to eat, Villalobos and Davis were presented with their scholarship checks and award certificates, bouquets of flowers, gift cards and large baskets. The awardees' children were included and were given their choice of board game or Lego toys donated by club members. The two remote awardees were mailed their checks and certificates.

For more information visit soroptimistvista.org or email [email protected].

Submitted by Soroptimist Vista and North County Inland.