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.
Tamara – 2024 Live Your Dream Awardee
Tamara is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at North Carolina Central University, which she expects to receive in December of 2024. This is an important step in her journey to become a midwife. She is the mother of a 2 year old daughter. Tamara...
Erica – 2024 Live Your Dream Awardee
Erica embodies the Be, Know, Do attitude. She graduated in December 2023 with her associate degree in human services from Wake Tech Community College (WTCC), however she did not rest long. She is currently enrolled at WTCC taking a prerequisite course to attend the...
Mia – 2024 Live Your Dream Awardee
Mia is enrolled at Wake Technical Community College, expecting to graduate in May 2025 majoring in human services. She works part-time and has a 1 year old daughter. Growing up in foster care, Mia didn’t see many individuals like herself graduating or pursuing a...
News and Events
Celebrating the end of a club year
Above: Members of the 2025-2026 Soroptimist Raleigh board during the installation ceremony. In June, Soroptimist members and guests gathered at Cantina 18 in Raleigh to mark the final meeting of the club year with an evening of connection and celebration. The night...
Talking Careers at Mount Vernon
Earlier this month, Soroptimist members and colleagues gathered at Mount Vernon Middle School for our 2nd Annual Career Fair. This year's event included 13 volunteers and 26 students (mostly 8th graders). The volunteers represented a wide range of careers including...
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...