Special Offer for New Members!
Become an Advantage Member and you can enjoy the benefits of membership and attend webinars for free!
Contribute to our 20th Anniversary Scholarship Drive!
Last year, PBWC increased its scholarship program from $15K to $19K through donations from its generous members and sponsors. 2009 marks our 20th Anniversary and to celebrate this great milestone, we would like to offer $20,000 in scholarships at our San Francisco conference in May. Please click on the scholarship tab on the left to become an active part of the success of these dynamic women!
Professional BusinessWomen of California has partnered with Book Passage!
Want to pick up a book you heard about at a PBWC event or want to dive deeper into a topic you learned about in a webinar? PBWC has partnered with Book Passage. Click on the BOOKS link on the left to see the latest picks from PBWC members and event speakers.
Scholarship Donations
Professional BussinessWomen of California is committed to investing in the next generation of leaders. Each year we award scholarships to distinguished students at our annual conference in San Francisco. We need your help to increase our support of these dynamic women!
HIGH FIVE
By Joanna Rustin
With titles like CEO, Partner, VP and President, the task of appropriating a nearly $20,000 budget wasn’t out of the ordinary for this conference room full of business women. What was unusual was how deeply humbled and impressed we were by those requesting the funds.
The April 4th meeting to select the 2008 PBWC Scholarship recipients was a morning of storytelling. It brought to life the journey of roughly 80 high school applicants with more achievements and life experiences than seems possible for their young age.
With excellence in academics a common theme (many held GPAs of 4.0 or better), we were very impressed by the breadth and quality of their extracurricular activities. These credentials alone made the decision difficult. That was before we judged the essays.
When we read the essays, we discovered young women with amazing courage and work ethic. They balance school with part-time jobs, athletics, music programs, some even run small businesses!
One applicant is a swim coach for Special Olympics. Another founded her school newspaper (and secured funding to run it)! Simply amazing!
We met girls from cities like Compton who have overcome obstacles that foil much older women, such as the loss of a sibling or a parent diagnosed with cancer. One girl became the head of her household, assuming care for her grandmother when her mom relocated for her job. Many cited fathers they’ll never know and heroic moms who have taught them anything is possible.
Resting on our committee’s shoulders was the task of giving what applicants modestly described as a “helping hand.” We’re honored to lend this “helping hand” by recognizing our 2008 scholarship recipients at the Conference.
$5,000 Scholarship Winners
Kathryn Ries Tringale
Miramonte High School
Orinda, CA
Christina Kushroo Khavarian
The Preuss School UCSD
La Jolla, CA
Jessica Choi
Independence High School
San Jose, CA
Special Recognition: Winners of the $2,000 “Member Scholarships”
PBWC increased our commitment this year from $15,000 to $19,000 thanks to you, our fellow members, who donated $3,500 at the 2007 SF conference. With an additional $500 from the Board, we are presenting $2,000 “Member
Scholarships” to:
Thuy-An Tran
Milpitas High School
Milpitas, CA
Rosa Elia Alvarez
Menlo Atherton High School
Atherton, CA
According to Shirley Gordon, Committee Chair, “Applicants for our scholarships were amazing young women from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Their personal stories and views on leadership demonstrate vision, passion, perseverance and commitment. Most compelling are their aspirations and plans to impact our community and world through innovation, science, medical, engineering and business.”
She added, “Many overcame personal challenges, traveled the world serving others, and have been leaders in their schools and communities. Our young women offer inspiration for the future.”
With their stories imprinted in our minds and hearts, it’s clear we can do more. Please donate at the conference or look for the new option to add a donation when you register for our conferences.
Special thanks to the 2008 Scholarship Committee: Shirley Gordon (Chair), Wendy Beecham, Andrea Berman, Judy Cronkhite, Lynn Davis, Nancy Hayes, Loren Mahon, Helen Mendel, Adrienne Renner and Joanna Rustin.
For the full article, visit www.pbwcconnections.com.
Joanna Rustin is Founder and Publisher of PBWC Connections magazine and President of Rustin Communications. She writes and consults on how to use high-impact communications to create a larger-than-life presence in the market.
$25.00 |
$100.00 |
$10.00 |