Empowering women through education is the single most effective tool for gender equality and ending the poverty cycle. Our club focus is on education because educated women and girls are less vulnerable to sex traffickers, more likely to leave a domestic violence situation and not return, able to access healthcare, less likely to live in poverty and able to raise stronger, healthier families.
2025 Scholarship Awardees
In 2025 the club awarded sizeable scholarships to seven deserving RVHS graduating seniors.
Members, excited scholarship winners, and proud family and friends arrived June 18th at Susan Whitesell’s home to celebrate the 2025 scholarship winners, welcome a new board of directors for the 2025-2026 term, and conclude a successful year.
Several delicious salads and an amazing charcuterie board were served by Sam’s Catering of Rio Vista. Members and guests filled their plates and sat down for a delicious dinner before the festivities of the evening began. Members enjoyed meeting the RVHS scholarship winners and congratulating them on the scholarships they were going to receive later in the evening.
Soroptimist 2024-2025 President Evelyn Nodal introduced the evening, speaking with pride about the club’s various fundraisers that support their scholarships and awards such as the Women’s Empowerment, Live Your Dream and, of course, the RVHS Scholarships awarded to graduating high school seniors. In her remarks she said, “We are privileged to touch so many lives in our community.”
Next, each scholarship winner was presented with their scholarship certificate and were encouraged to introduce themselves and share their future plans. A few proud parents also spoke up. All the young women received a $2,000 award. Destiny Lopez received the Sandy Howard “Women in the Trades” Scholarship, supported by member Charlene Spinner and her husband Ross.
The scholarship presentations were especially meaningful for club members because the RVHS scholarships represent the culmination of their fundraising efforts. The club is so proud of these students for their hard work, leadership qualities, and commitment to make a difference in our community.