Three Women Receive Cash Grants from Manassas Soroptimist Club

Soroptimist International of Manassas, a local volunteer service organization, recently awarded three cash grants for its Live Your Dream Award program. The Live Your Dream Awards are given to women who are the primary financial support of their families and who are also attending a post-secondary education institution for skills training or to obtain an undergraduate degree.

The first-place winner and recipient of $2,500 is Romelia Belteton of Alexandria, Virginia. Romelia became a mother while still in high school, but she did not let that deter her from her dream of attending college. She received an associate degree from Northern Virginia Community College and will graduate from George Mason University next spring with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering. Romelia’s career goal is to be able to provide sustainable and efficient housing to those living in developing countries. On her application for the award, Romelia stated, “I want to finish [my degree] so that I can show my son and everyone that has doubted me that being a teen mom and going to school is possible.“ She went on to say, “I want to show everyone that I did not fail; I just stumbled and got back up even stronger and more motivated.”

The second-place winner and recipient of $1,500 is Karyn Williams of Orange, Virginia. Karyn is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Mary Baldwin University. The third-place winner and recipient of $1,000 is Kyle Pullin of Nokesville, Virginia. Kyle is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Shenandoah University. Club-level first-place winners are eligible for a region-level Live Your Dream Award. Romelia also received $1,000 from the organization’s Central East Coast Region.

Founded in 1956, the Manassas club is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas, a global organization that works to provide women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. Manassas members join with almost 160,000 Soroptimists and supporters in 21 countries and territories to support community-based projects benefiting women and girls.

For more information about Soroptimist International of Manassas, please contact info@simanassas.org.