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.
Yvette – 2025 Live Your Dream Awardee
Yvette's journey has been shaped by hardship, resilience, and an unwavering determination to build a better future. Losing her father to cancer as a child was a heartbreaking experience that left a lasting impact. On top of that, her mother’s incarceration forced her...
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...
News and Events
Soroptimist Members Support Dress for Success, Help Raise $36,000 at Boutique Sale
On September 20, members of Soroptimist International of Raleigh rolled up their sleeves to support fellow nonprofit Dress for Success, an organization dedicated to empowering women by providing professional attire and career development resources. Eight Soroptimist...
Celebrate National Puzzle Month in 2026 with Us
January is National Puzzle Month, and Soroptimist International of Raleigh is celebrating with not one, but two puzzle-filled events that will bring people together, build community, and support programs that empower women and girls through education. The celebration...
Alexis Shines as an Example
The Live Your Dream Awards program is built on one simple belief: when we support women and girls in pursuing their goals, we strengthen our entire community. Each step forward is not only a personal achievement but also an inspiration for others. We are excited to...