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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.
Tanea – 2025 Live Your Dream Awardee
Tanea’s personal journey has been marked by resilience. After her mother’s mental breakdown when she was six, she and her siblings were raised by family members. She later lived with an aunt in North Carolina before moving to Washington, DC, at sixteen, where she...
Alexis – 2025 Live Your Dream Awardee
Alexis is a student at Fayetteville State University, and will complete her bachelor’s degree in sociology in May 2025. She works full-time while caring for four children. Alexis was raised by her loving grandmother, who took on caring for her and her twin brother who...
Cecilia – 2024 Live Your Dream Awardee
Cecilia is a junior at Meredith College and expects to graduate in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and then continue on to dental school. She currently works part-time as a pediatric dental assistant, and is the mother of 3 boys, ages 6, 2 and 1. Cecilia...
News and Events
Graduation News
We're so pleased to share graduation news from two of our Live Your Dream Award recipients! 2025 LYDA recipient Orrie graduated on May 10 from the Dental Assisting program at Wake Technical Community College. Upon graduation, Orrie completed the required examinations...
2025 Live Your Dream Awards
Soroptimist International of Raleigh (SIR) members, supporters and friends gathered on Saturday, March 22 for an awards luncheon to celebrate the 2025 recipients of the Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education & Training Awards for Women®. This year, a total of 10...
PuzzleMania VII Speed Puzzling Fundraiser Raises $12,000
We had a wonderful turnout for our 7th PuzzleMania speed puzzling fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 1. Forty teams of four raced to complete the 500-piece Route 66 puzzle, kindly donated by MasterPieces, and team Over Puzzled finished in a record time of 22 minutes and 6...