Capitola — Soroptimist International (SI) of Capitola-By-The-Sea has selected Jessica Starkes, a student at Cabrillo Collage, as a winner of the “Live Your Dream” Award given to a woman who is enrolled in or has been accepted to a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program, and is the primary financial support of her family.
She will be honored and a $2,000 cash award will be presented at the Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea Awards dinner in March.
Starkes, of Watsonville, overcame multi-generational addiction, domestic abuse, homelessness, depression and the death of a child before she was able to complete her GED, which allowed her to enroll at Cabrillo College and pursue her dream of becoming a social worker.
A single mother, she is committed to continuing to be a positive role model for her children while she carries a 3.64 grade point average, works more than 30 hours a week and volunteers as part of her internship.
Her cash award may be used to offset any costs associated with her efforts to attain higher education, including books, childcare and transportation.
Soroptimist, a Latin word meaning Best for Women, is a worldwide service organization for women who work to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world. For more information, visit the SI Capitola website at www.best4women.org or contact SI Capitola at info@best4women.org.