The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce Women’s Alliance held its ninth annual Inspired Women Luncheon this past Friday. It was a truly exciting day celebrating women from all over greater Arlington for their contributions to our community. A special portion of the event is dedicated to our Dr. Judith J. Carrier Scholarship Program. Over the past nine years, this event has blossomed from awarding $1,000, eight years ago, to $25,000 – all to support women who have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to pursuing their passions and purpose. This year, we had more than 150 total applicants competing for these scholarships, and the Women’s Alliance scholarship sub-committee, headed up by Darla Peznell, spent well over 100 combined hours pouring through applicant packets, to narrow that number down to just ten recipients.
The Master of Ceremonies for the day, Dr. Jacquelyn Minor from the Southeast Campus of Tarrant County College, summed up our scholarship program best. “We are so excited to support their journies of becoming the next generation of power movers, game-changers and trailblazers in our community.”
The University of Texas at Arlington – Graduate Students
Lindsey Gendke – Lindsey is a doctoral student with a Ph.D. focus in Rhetoric and Composition. After a long journey to find herself, she has produced two memoirs and looks forward to teaching students essential life, workplace and community skills. It’s imperative to know how to write and communicate effectively, and her message to her future students is to be aware of your audience and always give a message that matters.
Ashley Johnson – Ashley is a doctoral student who aspires to be a college professor and work in academic publishing. As a child, she wanted to be Lois Lane, but as she’s matured, that dream has transformed into a desire to be successful, empowering, a seeker of truth and a sharer of knowledge. As a professor, she wants to be student-focused and community-involved, encouraging students to be healthy, engaged, helpful members of society.
The University of Texas at Arlington – Undergraduate Students
Elizabeth Anderson – Elizabeth is pursuing her undergraduate in Social Work. She found her passion to help others realize their potential after other people took a chance on her. She looks forward to completing her degree this May and going straight into a Masters program so she can become a licensed Clinical Social Worker and help low-income individuals in our community unlock avenues towards growth.
Josefina Ghio – Josefina an undergraduate student studying International Affairs. She found her passion through serving diverse communities, and she aspires to work as a Foreign Service Officer for the US State Department. After she completes her degree, she wants to enlist in a year of service through the Fulbright Program or the Peace Corps, then return to school to earn her Masters in Public Policy with an emphasis in Economics.
Julie Trinh – Julie is an undergrad studying Biology and Business Administration. She has found her passion by helping those around her grow, and through her life-long dream of being an optometrist, she knows she can help others literally see their potential. After completing all the necessary schooling, she hopes to own her own practice and help all members of our community.
Tarrant County College – Southeast Campus
Angela Rose Harris-Thorne – Angela is a true entrepreneur–she is managing two different startups while in college. She’s working toward her degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting. She’s found her passion through empowering others by serving them and teaching them through her own experiences.
Jacora Johnson – Jacora’s dream is to serve on the Supreme Court, and she is working towards that goal every day by earning her degree in political science with a minor in sociology. She found her passion through people and hearing their stories and triumphs, and she looks forward to lifting up marginalized communities through public education reform and social justice.
Britney Lawrence – Britney’s unabashedly passionate for nature and our planet. Her dream is to revolutionize product packaging and reduce the excessive amount of plastic used by corporations. She’s working toward a degree in Science in environmental sciences in hopes to create a cleaner environment not only in our community but throughout the world.
The University of Texas at Arlington – Nursing Scholarships
Thanks to the generosity of Medical City Arlington, Texas Health Resources and Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, two outstanding women will continue toward their goals of joining one of the most in-demand professions in greater Arlington!
Michelle Jon (Medical City Arlington) – Michelle knew she wanted to be a nurse her whole life. Here are a few words from her application about her story: “Although I have chosen nursing as a profession, it’s also my passion. I was fortunate to find my calling at a very young age after being hospitalized for three months due to a severe car accident. I do not remember much from that time, but what I do recall is the remarkable nursing care I received and the comfort they brought to my family during this difficult time. It was then that I fell in love with nursing… I am committed to providing nothing short of the best care for my patients, and I am eager to dedicate myself to a lifelong journey of learning in order to provide for those who are ill and in need.”
Courtney Adams (Texas Health Resources and Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital) – Courtney had a truly amazing application. “Nursing is more than just a chosen career or profession for me; it’s a practice of compassion, leadership, self-growth and empowerment. Last year, a fire ignited within me when I decided to fully devote myself to a new professional career in nursing. With a previous BA is International Relations and a hefty amount of student debt already under my belt, this decision came full force with a searing purpose I could not stop… When I was weighing my future in nursing against the weight of my wallet, fear and uncertainty of my dreams gave me pause. I asked my dad, “Am I dreaming too big?” My dad then said to me, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.” and the rest is history.”
CLICK HERE to read the complete recap of the ninth annual Inspired Women Luncheon.
About Dr. Judith J. Carrier
Our scholarship recipients should take exceptional pride in winning a scholarship bearing the name Dr. Judith J. Carrier. Dr. Carrier dedicated years to education and her community. Dr. Carrier began teaching and counseling in public schools before moving to Tarrant County College District where she was a professor, counselor, administrator and founding President of the Tarrant County College District Southeast Campus. Dr. Carrier was also the first female elected as Chair of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.