2026 Live Your Dream Awards
Meet this years recipients
Soroptimist Raleigh: Empowering Girls & Women
Soroptimist Raleigh is a local club of Soroptimist International. Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. The name, Soroptimist, means “best for women,” and that’s what the organization strives to achieve. Soroptimists are women at their best, working to help other women to be their best. Our Dream programs are at the heart of what we do.
Our Programs
Live Your Dream
This award aids women who are the primary wage earners for their families and are seeking to improve their economic status by gaining additional skills, training and education.
Live Your Dream Plus
In our “Live Your Dream Plus” program we follow up with our awardees for up to three years, mentoring them to afford ongoing support both non-financial as well as financial.
Dream It Be It
Dream It Be It targets girls in secondary school who face obstacles to their future success. It provides girls with access to professional role models, career education and the resources to live their dreams.
Real Stories
These are the real stories of recipients of the Live Your Dream Awards. We hope they will encourage you to take the steps to achieve your dreams, big or small.
Shenita – 2018 Live Your Dream Awardee
Shenita will receive her Bachelor of Science in Genetics from NC State University this spring. Her goal is to work in research and ultimately to attain a future dual degree in law and medicine. Shenita has overcome many barriers – abuse, teen parenting, and...
Jennifer – 2018 Live Your Dream Awardee
Jennifer will complete her Bachelor of Arts degree at Meredith College this spring with a double major in criminology and sociology. She will begin her career in the field of law as a paralegal. A single mother to three boys, Jennifer has faced challenges of poverty,...
Sabrina – 2018 Live Your Dream Awardee
Sabrina is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies through University of North Carolina Greensboro’s online program. Her goal is to impact children’s lives with the love of learning as a certified teacher. As a single mother...
News and Events
Annual Holiday Angels Brunch
On December 2, Soroptimist members came together Saturday for our annual Holiday Angels brunch. Working with Loaves and Fishes we collected gifts and household goods for 7 families. We also inducted three new members to the club: Lashonda White, Lorraine Waller &...
Happy 36th Anniversary to Us!
We are thrilled to be celebrating our 36th anniversary this month - and we continue to work hard to empower women and girls by supporting access to education and training. To date, we have distributed over $103,000 in grants and awards to local women. In March of...
Dream It, Be It Program
Soroptmist launched its first year-long Dream It, Be It (DIBI) program in September at Mt. Vernon Middle School in Raleigh. There are seven girls in 7th grade and 13 in 8th grade participating. The monthly workshops to date have dealt with stress, self-care and rising...