Four Mature Women Receive Zonta’s Virginia Wrage Awards
Four women have been chosen to share this year’s $9,000 Virginia Wrage Memorial grants, given by Zonta Club of the Santa Clarita Valley to mature women facing a life-altering crisis, who need financial support on their journey to their own financial independence. The awards were presented at Zonta’s recent annual awards event as part of nearly $21,000 in grants and scholarships given during that program.
The grant is named for late Zontian Virginia Wrage, who faced a lifechanging issue in midlife and launched a new career as an airline stewardess. She died of cancer only a few years later and had agreed to allow Zonta to present an annual grant in her name. Her son, Randy, attends the program and makes the presentation.
Recipient names below are abbreviated to insure their privacy.
Andrea M. found herself on her own with a 17-yearold son when she lost her husband to cancer. At the same time, her son was diagnosed with autism and they lost their home of 17 years. She found her work and technology skills were very outdated and had difficulty in finding work while balancing all of the additional responsibilities of her life as a widow in her mid-40s.
She is enrolled as an online student at Indiana University East and expects to graduate this August with a Bachelor’s Degree in English, Technical and Professional Writing. She hopes to work for non-profits creating marketing materials, editing, and writing, so that she can give back to others who have been in similar difficult situations.
Kerri S. is a single mother of four children and a survivor of domestic violence. She left an abusive relationship with no money and no job and
decided that the only way out was to return to school and complete her education. She enrolled as a fulltime student at College of the Canyons in 2014 and expects to graduate with an Associate Degree in June. She hopes to continue on to Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in social work so she can help others. She plans to use her Virginia Wrage grant to pay her housing costs so she can continue to go to college full-time.
Tanya H. has critical needs dating back to her childhood, when she was raised by an emotionally unstable and frequently violent mother who eventually committed suicide. When she realized that her young son also was suffering from apparent mental health issues, she came to a turning point in her life. “Either I succumb to the anxiety and pain that has been my near constant company or, alternatively, I embrace it and make it my life’s mission—heal and become a healer,” she reflected. “I chose the latter.”
At the age of 41, she returned to school at College
of the Canyons, where she finished her first semester with a 4.0 grade point average. Her goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and support families that struggle, like her own. She also is pursuing certification as an Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association-certified equine-specialist and plans to become part of a two-person volunteer team at a local non-profit that practices equine-assisted psychotherapy and equineassisted learning with local at-risk youth. She hopes eventually to form her own non-profit to support families with children affected by mental health issues. She also would like to recruit a network of vendors that are willing to offer discounted services to members of her foundation, to help struggling families with daily living services and expenses.
She will use her Zonta grant to cover Brandman University tuition for summer 2016 to begin her Bachelor’s Degree coursework, while continuing to work toward her General Education alternative diploma at COC.
Gigi M. grew up in a home with eight brothers and sisters and a set of alcoholic parents. She suffered through two abusive marriages and foreclosure on her family home. She also has survived diabetes and breast cancer. After years of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, she decided to return to school to be a positive role model for her children. “After the first year, I decided to also do it for myself,” she reflected.
She plans to complete her Associate in Science Degree at College of the Canyons this year, complete her transfer requirements, and continue working toward a Bachelor of Science Degree, which she plans to achieve by 2017. She would then like to achieve her Master’s Degree in Administration of Justice/Criminal Justice and hopes to obtain a fulltime entry level position within the government while she completes her upper level college work. She will use her Virginia Wrage grant to cover the costs of her education for the next school year.