SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL of TWAIN HARTE selects Women's Opportunity Awardee

Victoria O'Dell has been awarded the Women's Opportunity Award of $1,500 from Soroptimist International of Twain Harte, the money will enable her to complete coursework in business at Columbia Junior College.

The Women's Opportunity Award is the one award that represents the very ideal of Soroptimists all over the world. This award is designed to improve the lives of women and their children, especially those women who have faced economic and social barriers and personal hardships that have kept them from gaining skills and education they need to provide for their families as a single, head-of household woman.

Victoria is a 32 year old woman with three young daughters. She has successfully moved from living off AFDC to being self-sufficient and over-coming many personal problems to reach her goal of becoming an office assistant. Her instructor, Candace Daly, has been instrumental in helping Victoria change her life and reach her career goals. She said, "It's been a long time since I have found anyone in my classes that would qualify to apply for this honor. Victoria will move ahead and she'll be a supervisor some day."

As Victoria told Soroptimist, attending the luncheon held in her honor on March 15th, her life story it was clear that she represents the very essence of the Women's Opportunity Award. She is almost done with her classes, but for this award, Victoria would have had to drop out and earn enough money to continue her last two courses. Now, she can continue and fully realize her goal to receive her certificate by the fall of 2005. Victoria said, "School has given me more than just knowledge from books; it has given me my self-respect and self confidence. Incidentally, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Chairs, Marilyn Knudson, and Judy Podesta both agreed that reading the applications and choosing a winner is a very difficult job.

Revised October 29, 2006