Local women achieving their dreams: Shoreline woman receives financial award

Dominique Dwyer with her
daughter Amora

Soroptimist International of Bellevue Metropolitan, a global organization that works to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment, presented three $1,500 Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women to help local women improve their economic situation.

An awards dinner was held for the women and their families at the Big Fish Grill in Kirkland. A Big Thank You to Lisa Dupar Catering for their donation of a very delightful celebration cake and Fena Flowers in Kirkland’s donation of a beautiful centerpiece and flower bouquets for the three women.

Recipient Dominique Dwyer is a single mother living in Shoreline with her 7 year-old daughter, Amora.

She is attending Edmonds Community College where she will complete her transfer degree this summer. Dominique is applying to attend the University of Washington Bothell to complete a degree in community psychology.

One of her references described her:

She is strongly motivated to provide a positive future for herself and her daughter, in spite of significant challenges. She is able to persevere and get things done. She is a learner. She also knows how to ask questions in order to get the information that she needs. 

We have observed her as always reaching forward and learning whatever she can (inside and outside of school) and then adjusting accordingly to what fits her goals and her family in the best way.

Recipient Adrianna Hyatt of Kirkland has two children, Madelyn age 14 and Carson 6. She is a widow attending Northwest University where she was to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. Adrianna’s goal; is to pursue a career in mental health counseling and community nursing.

Theresa Onya and her 6 year-old son Joshua, live in Bellevue. She has been accepted into the Nursing Program at Bellevue College beginning this spring. Theresa hopes to be a registered nurse.

The Live Your Dream Award provides women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families with the financial resources to offset costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training. The award can be used for tuition, books, childcare, carfare or any other education-related expense.

These three women will now advance to the Soroptimist Northwestern Region level judging, where recipients can receive up to an additional $5,000. The program culminates at the federation level with three finalists $10,000 awards.

The Live Your Dream Award provides over $2 million in cash grants to head-of-household women in need each year.

Founded in 2004, the Bellevue Metropolitan club is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas, Soroptimist, a 501(c)(3) organization that relies on charitable donations to support its programs, also powers Live Your Dream - an online community offering offline volunteer opportunities in support of women and girls.

More information about how Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls here and on Facebook.