This Year's Winner: Marisol

Our winner of the Jeanne Schneiter- Adovnik award is not new to Salt Lake Soroptimist. She has applied twice for the WOA award and has been invited to attend “Breakfast with Santa 2008, 2009.” She attended with her mother and three young boys Alfonso, age 12; Jesse, age 8 and Edgar age 6. She is studying for a bachelor’s degree in Social work. at Weber State University. She will complete her program in 2012. Her education goal is to become a social worker so she can help primarily, Hispanic people change their lives by providing them with resources and a way out of poverty.

Marisol always dreamed of going on to college after she graduated high school over 10 years ago but there was never enough money no matter how hard she saved, her funds were somehow deferred to other family needs. “It was always on my mind to someday go to college, I never gave up hope.” She continues to say” I knew sooner or later I would figure out a way to come up with the money to go to school.” After her divorce in 2004 she took a leap of faith and enrolled in school and has been going ever since. It has been very difficult as she has the three boys that she raises with little financial help. “I work a part time job from 4:30 am to 7:30am which barely pays my bills. I receive no child support and so I struggle a lot with finances, and my kids go without things they need very often because I have a very tough budget”

Marisol has completed her associates degree and is now going for her bachelors. She is very proud of her good GPA. “I want to accomplish this so that I can give my children a better education, and in the future help them go to college. I want to be a good role model and show them about the importance of going to school. I can show single mothers that we can make our educational dreams come true, that there are a lot of resources available to help us towards our education, but it is our job to go out there and look for it and not to give up easily.”

At the close of our luncheon little 8 year old Jesse came up to the podium with his head down and said to Marilyn, can I say something please..? She handed him the microphone and he said, “Thank you all so much for helping my mom go to school.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

Jeanne Schneiter Adovonik Committee Leader is Marilyn Tang