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.
Maggie – 2023 Live Your Dream Awardee
Maggie is pursuing an associate degree in surgical technology at Durham Tech Community College. She works part-time and is the mother of 2 children, aged 7 and 2. Maggie has faced plenty of adversity but her commitment to her personal growth and her lifelong dream of...
Tiffany – 2023 Live Your Dream Awardee
Tiffany is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration at UNC Pembroke, with a prospective graduation date of December 2023. She is a full-time student while working a full-time job and raising two children as a single parent. She was also...
Tara – 2023 Live Your Dream Awardee
Tara is currently enrolled in the medical administration program at Bryan University and is planning to complete her associate degree in 2024, a goal she is pursuing while working full-time and raising her twelve-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter. Earning her...
News and Events
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...
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...