Women's Chamber of Commerce of PBC Scholarship Luncheon

"I want every little girl who's told she's bossy to be told instead that she has leadership skills," Sheryl Sandberg. 

It's not always easy to be a woman in business. Despite all the advancements made by women business owners and women business leaders, there is still a long way to go. That's one of the reasons organizations like The Women's Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County are so important. I'm honored to be the official photographer for the Women's Chamber this year! It's my goal to capture all their important events and milestones so that members and supporters can remember all the special moments and details they worked so hard to see to fruition.

My first role as official photographer was to capture their annual scholarship luncheon. Each year the Women's Chamber Foundation provides scholarship to students of all ages and backgrounds who are starting college or returning to college. Scholarships range in amount and some sponsors provide additional components like mentoring, laptops, etc.

This year's scholarship luncheon was held on June 11, 2014 at the beautiful Kravis Center. The event featured Liz Quirantes, News Anchor for CBS 12. Liz shared that this is one of her favorite events because she loves to hear how receiving these scholarship changes the lives of so many women. She also admitted that at least one story each year makes her cry, and this year was no exception. One young lady found herself homeless. She is now living with a member of her church. Despite her struggles, she excels in  school and is a very outgoing, genuine young lady. She is now planning to attend college so she can eventually enjoy a career helping other young women.

The event also featured an amazing speaker, Dr. Christine Jax Vice President of Academic Affairs, Anthem Education Group. Dr. Jax is a very spunky lady. She is the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Anthem Education Group where she oversees academic operations, curriculum development, library services, V.A. Operations, and accreditation for 38 campuses nationwide. One of her career highlights was being hired by Jesse Ventura, Governor of Minnesota, to be Commissioner of Education for the state of Minnesota from 1999-2003. She shared some great stories about her experiences working for this well-known Governor and how she got hired despite not having nearly the credentials of her competitors.

Finally, all the scholarship were handed out. Each recipient had the chance to share a few words and many of the recipients were overwhelmed and excited to the point of tears. It was very touching! Congratulations to all the recipients. And congratulations to the committee for putting on another wonderful event!