The Women's Community Center Board Member Sonia Paz Baronvine attended the Women's Legacy Fund Luncheon at the Embassy Suites San Luis Obispo to honor the 2010 Grant Recipients.
THE WOMEN'S LEGACY FUND LUNCHEON
I enjoy volunteering in non profits that help humanity like the Mellowswan Foundation, The Women's Community Center of San Luis Obispo County and today I enjoyed a wonderful luncheon at the beautiful Embassy Suites Hotel with the Women's Legacy Fund
There were more than 300 women there to Honor the 2010 Grant Recipients, focusing on Women and Education.D
The mistress of ceremonies was Betsey Nash who did a great job.
Ann Robinson, Dee Lacey, spoke and lifted our spirits.
The keynote speaker was Mary Catherine Swanson- the founder of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination )
AVID prepares low income students for college entry and has a 94% success rate. With an annual budget of $ 36.000.000 there are more than 4000 schools across the US, Asia, Europe, and Canada.
Mary Catherine Swanson has a BA in English and journalism and MA in education. She taught high school English for 20 years before founding AVID
Among other honors Mary Catherine has recieved the Charles A Dana $ 50.000 Foundation Award for Pioneering Achievment in Education, the only school teacher to have ever been so honored. She also recieved the $ 25.000 McGreaw Prize in Education and was named America's best teacher by Time Magazine and CNN
She retired as CEO of AVID in 2006 leaving the organization with a $ 23.000.000 endowment. She currently serves on the AVID Board as well as the board of several other non for profit organizations.
Then Barbara Bell and Janice Fong Wolf presented this year grant's recipients
American Association of University Women with a $ 1,500 grant
To provide 2 scholarship fpr girls to attend Tech Trek- an AAUW Statewide science and math camp for girls.
Avila Beach Sea Life Center with a $ 3,500 grant
To underwrite a new one week marine science camp for girls ages 12-16 to be implemented in June 2011
Big Brothers Big Sisters with a grant of $ 3,000
To support girls through a school based mentoring program pairing 30 high school and college aged mentors with elementary school students.
It was wonderful to sit there representing the Women's Community Center of San Luis Obispo County and be surrounded by excellent women of all ages, backgrounds, races, and education levels.
The sisterhood was so strong, the fraternal love was present and we learned about a very special young woman. Susana Ayala-Lopez
Her parents Mexican Inmigrants, with only elementary school education, and she worked alongside her mom cleaning houses in order to earn money to pay her tuition.
Not only she graduated from high school, then college, the first in her family to do so, she earned her BA and her Masters and now she is getting her PhD
We gave her a standing ovation!!!
There were many teary eyes in the room!!
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