The Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea 2025 Live Your Dream winners!
Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea has selected nine single mothers as winners of its 2025 Live Your Dream program awards. Each received a cash award that they can use for anything that enables them to complete their education, such as rent, medical bills, child care and car repairs.The winners were honored at a presentation ceremony on March 8. Women who are enrolled in or have been accepted into a bachelor’s or technical training program, are the heads of their households and have a demonstrated need are eligible to apply for a Live Your Dream award.
The Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea 2024 Live Your Dream winners are:
Iracema Torres
Iracema Torres, 28, of Santa Cruz, is the single mother of a daughter, is enrolled at Cabrillo College and is pursuing a Human Services career path. After a difficult childhood that led her to make some poor choices and surviving domestic abuse, she decided to get an education so that she could provide a better future for her daughter.
She currently works 25 hours as a Behavioral Aid while attending classes. Her goal is to work with juveniles released from detention who have experienced addiction.
“Working as a Behavioral Aid will prepare me for my future career as a drug and alcohol counselor,” she wrote.
Jessica Armstrong
Jessica Armstrong, 38, of Scotts Valley, is the single mother of two children 8 and 11-years-old, both of whom have mental health challenges that require her to home school them due to bullying in public school. Ms. Armstrong grew up in foster care with no family support and suffered numerous setbacks earlier in her life. But now she is determined to be a role model for her children by getting an education.
After several previous attempts, she successfully completed her studies for her GED last year. She is now enrolled full-time at Cabrillo College seeking a degree in Human Services. Her goal is to be a social worker. She believes her greatest accomplishment so far is getting her GED, something she wanted her children see her do.
“I accomplished that and still to this day am so proud of myself for getting it and showing my kids its never too late to follow your dreams,” she wrote.
Joel Jacob
Joel Jacob, 54, of Bonny Doon, is the single mother of one child and caregiver of one autistic young adult. She works full-time while pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education at Cabrillo College. Although she has gotten a late start on her education, she is dedicated to becoming a preschool teacher with a specialty of working with developmentally delayed and special needs children. She is nearly a straight A student and wants to serve low-income and minority communities on the central coast when she completes her education.
“My dedication to children and their families has always been the driving force behind my desire to become a preschool teacher,” she wrote.
Kailey Johnson
Kailey Johnson, 28, of Santa Cruz, is the mother of a 7-year-old son and began working toward a nursing degree when her son was 18-months old. For several years though, she had to work full-time in low-paying jobs barely meeting her expenses and put her education on hold. Eventually, she decided to go forward with her plan to work in the medical care field and enrolled at Cabrillo College.
She has been able to finish all her classes and earn two associate degrees with high honors. She has also fulfilled her California State University transfer requirements to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
“I have put so much time and effort into my classes and grades and it is my dream to make it happen,” she wrote in her application.
Christine Saunders-French
Christina Lee-Ana Saunders-French, 40, of Scotts Valley, is a single mother of an 11-year-old daughter, and is studying Criminal Justice at Cabrillo College. After working as a house cleaner for more than 20 yeas, at the age of 38, Ms. Saunders-French went back to school and got her GED in 2024. Immediately afterward, she enrolled at Cabrillo and has completed one year of her program. She has applied to be a police officer with the Santa Cruz Police Department.
“As I walked up on that stage (to get her GED) I felt such a huge surge of accomplishment and confidence,” she wrote in her LYD application. “I knew I could do anything from then on.”
Nadine Atilano
Nadine Atilano, 27, of Santa Cruz, is the single mother of three young children, 6, 10 and 12, two of whom are autistic. She became a teen mother at 14, had her second child at 16, and had no familial support. She was in a toxic relationship for many years.
However, in her early 20s, she went back to school and became a dental assistant, a career she loved and has worked in for four years, But unfortunately, she was unexpectedly let go.
Despite that set back, she enrolled in the Health Science program at Cabrillo College in 2024. She will work to complete that program, which will enable her to move into Dental Hygiene training.
“I want to provide a better life for my kids before they get too big,” she wrote.
Nancy Zamora Fernandez
Nancy Zamora Fernandez, 38, of Scotts Valley, is the single mother of two children, 13 and 17 and is pursuing a degree in Human Services at Cabrillo College. She is currently working on earning a Family Development Certificate, and her long term goal is to get a masters degree and found a non-profit organization that supports kids with mental and behavioral health needs.
She has struggled financially to continue, has only been offered minimal job opportunities and limited work hours and was unemployed for eight months last year.
“Trying to focus on school, manage family responsibilities and keep up with work has been difficult,” she wrote. “Financial stress has jeopardized all three.”
Priscilla Figueroa
Priscilla Figueroa, 37, of Watsonville, is a divorced mother of four children ages 8, 13-year-old twins and a 19-year-old, all of whom she supports by herself. During the pandemic, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse and enrolled at Cabrillo College. She was raised by a single mother and is the first generation in her family to attend college. She has faced significant financial struggles while trying to stay in school and complete her nursing studies.
But she is planning to graduate from the BRN nursing program this spring while simultaneously starting a bridge program this summer to get her bachelor’s degree in nursing at California State University at Monterey Bay. She will graduate from that program in spring of 2026.
“I made the choice to show up for myself, and to show my kids that against all odds we can do hard things and overcome hardships,” she wrote in her application.
Additional Winner
This winner, 41, of Aptos, is the single mother to two children, ages 17 and 19, who are also students. She is currently attending Cabrillo College studying business administration with a minor in counseling and teaching. She says she has a huge dream— to open a restaurant that sells comfort food from around the world and a hair salon, both of which would operate as teaching facilities for young students.
“Owning the two businesses, I can employ, teach and mentor my students in being successful in life,” she wrote. “Teaching them work ethic, leadership and trade skills that can be used in the real world and even as a means of financing through college.”
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Soroptimists, United Way and Girls, Inc. Host Teen Girls in Watsonville
Soroptimist International Clubs of Capitola-by-the-Sea and Watsonville, United Way of Santa Cruz County and Girls, Inc. of the Central Coast, recently teamed up to host nearly 20 teen girls at a “Dream It, Be It,” event at the Watsonville YWCA. The program is designed to give girls the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals, empowering them to break cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse.
Ranging in age from 12-17, the teen girls from as far away as Greenfield, got career ideas and educational and training advice from 10 professional women from a variety of occupations including a financial planner, physical therapist, school administrator, esthetician, dental hygienist, police sergeant, postmaster, dental office manager, community development director, and real estate broker.
Guest speaker Renee Mello, owner of Renee Mello & Associates Real Estate, told the girls to create a strategy and expect ups and downs in pursuing their dream careers. She also warned that friends and even family members may try to discourage them.
“Some people may not want you to succeed because it makes them jealous,” she said. “But don’t let anyone keep you from living your dream.”
The girls were also served lunch and received gift bags with assorted toiletries, cosmetics and hair accessories.
Soroptimist International of Capitola and Watsonville are part of a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment; United Way ignites the community to give, advocate and volunteer so that youths succeed in school and life, residents are healthy, and families are financially independent; Girls, Inc. of the Central Coast’s mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold and to respect themselves and the world around them.
Here are testimonials from previous Live Your Dream winners:
“I greatly appreciate the Live Your Dream award for so many reasons, not only for the financial stability but all of the unforeseen blessings that followed. The amazing ladies at Soroptimist gave me a special gift by lifting me up and celebrating me for my courage and strength to start my life over as a newly single mother in recovery and as a student at Cabrillo. Today my son and I are thriving in Santa Cruz; I transferred to UCSC (during the pandemic) and majoring in Community Studies. Any chance I get to pay things forward to the less fortunate, I take advantage of because I know how special I felt when I received the Live Your Dream award.” — Jamie S., 2019 Live Your Dream winner
“Having the honor of meeting my local Soroptimists was the greatest reward after achieving the Live Your Dream award. They are an amazing group of kind, resourceful, and supportive women who encourage other women to conquer their dreams and goals. The grant was also extremely helpful to my children and I so that we could get by with our basic needs and so mom can continue to step up to the plate and tackle her educational and career goals. Thank You Soroptimists! My children and I are forever grateful!” — Mary D., 2022 Live Your Dream Winner
“When I became the winner of the live your dream award, not only did it help me tremendously financially, but it gave me the hope and acknowledgment I needed to feel confident that this is the path I am supposed to be on and that living my dream is possible. Thank you Capitola Soroptimist’s for aiding me on my path to living my dream!” — Gigi M., 2022 Live Your Dream Winner
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Dream It, Be It
The Dream It, Be It: Career Success for Girls program will help girls grow up to be strong, successful, happy adults. This program 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.
Soroptimist clubs work in partnership with girls in small groups or a conference setting to provide them with the information and resources they want and need to be successful. The topics covered include career opportunities, setting and achieving goals, overcoming obstacles to success and how to move forward after setbacks or failures.
Other Soroptimist of Capitola-by-the-Sea Programs
Stop Human Trafficking—our club partners with the Santa Cruz Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW-SCC) to raise awareness of sex trafficking locally and around the world through workshops and other special events.
LiveYourDream.org Online Community
LiveYourDream.org is an online activist network community of people who wish to support woman and girls in their quest to lead better lives, while gaining inspiration in their own lives. Anyone can sign up, members and non-members!
Check out the YouTube video below, then choose your cause and course of action based on how much time or resources you have to give (e.g., donate, share, pledge, advocate, take action offline).
Sign up today on the liveyourdream.org website, and become part of a self-motivated online volunteer and activist network that offers flexible advocacy and action opportunities to improve the lives of women and girls and help them live their dreams!
For inspiring articles, personal stories, tips and resources on education, career, finance and lifestyle, visit the LiveYourDream.org blog.
See more exciting fund-raising news on our fund-raising page!