Zonta Club presents Young Women in Public Affairs Awards and Virigina Wrage Scholarships

Press release

The Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley awarded $12,000 in scholarships and awards at its annual awards ceremony on May 8.

Three young women were awarded the Young Women in Public Affairs Award and four women received a Virginia Wrage Memorial Scholarship.

The YWPA Awards program aims to encourage young women aged 16 to 19 to get involved in public affairs by recognising their commitment to the voluntary sector, volunteer leadership achievements and commitment to women’s empowerment. The award winners were:

• Katherine Brook, a 12th grader at West Ranch High School and currently enrolled in a journalism course at College of the Canyons, strives to create a better world for women and girls with the goal of earning a doctorate in sociology, film and media studies.

• Caitlyn Park, a 12th grader at Saugus High School, will attend Stanford University with a double major in politics and international relations and a minor in business. She founded a chapter of Future Business Leaders of America at Saugus High and four other local high schools and also founded the Pad Project SCV, which provides hygiene products for women and girls. She has worked as an intern for the City of Santa Clarita.

• Brooke Saavedra, an eleventh grader at Golden Valley High School, enjoys working with people, volunteering, and being a support to those in need. She has served in many leadership roles in schools, including president of Pad Project SCV, and aspires to be an elementary school teacher.

The Virginia Wrage Memorial Scholarship Awards are presented to mature women for the purposes of vocational training to achieve emotional, social and economic independence following a life-changing event.

The awards are presented in honor of Virginia Wrage, who had to return to work and reinvent herself at the age of 50. Four women received awards for helping her achieve her life goals:

• Cathy Kang is pursuing a degree in nursing specializing in palliative care. She has completed her training as a registered nurse, earned her Associate in Arts degree, and is well on her way to achieving her goal.

• Eda Grace Chang, a registered nurse, is going back to school to become a registered nurse with the goal of earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

• Michel Pilarski, after many difficulties in her life and successfully raising her children, her goal is to become a qualified nurse specializing in obstetrics. In addition, she continues to support her community by volunteering to fight human trafficking and rehabilitate child victims of trafficking.

• Weeda Bakkhshee from Afghanistan was an interpreter for the American military and speaks six languages. She immigrated to the United States but suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and plans to eventually teach at the university level and counsel veterans with PTSD.

“Zonta is proud of these exceptional young students and women who will continue to make our community such a great place to live,” the organization said in a press release.

For more information about Zonta, visit www.scvzonta.org.