Daring to dream, 10 women receive FRWRC grants to help them do so

Sophie Eackles, a Skyline High School graduate who has battled chronic illness for much of her young life, was awarded the coveted Elaine Bromfield Memorial Scholarship during a Zoom “No Breakfast Breakfast” ceremony Thursday, March 25, according to the Front Royal Women’s Resource Center (FRWRC).

“While we are disappointed that this is the second year we have not been able to hold our Dare to Dream breakfast in person, we are thrilled to continue our flagship program by awarding 10 new grants to area women working hard to achieve their dreams,” said Joyce Jenkins-Wimmer, FRWRC board chairman. More than $10,000 was distributed at the Zoom ceremony, adding to the more than $133,000 in grants and scholarships that have been presented annually to Warren County women over a quarter century.

Eackles, currently a junior at George Mason University, is studying communications full time, despite suffering ulcerated colitis for the past 11 years. She graduated with high honors from LFCC before moving on to George Mason with the goal of helping others who similarly suffer with the debilitating disease. Her award was $1,500.

Sophie Eackles – Courtesy Photo

Nine other Warren County women with differing dreams for their future lives also were named by the FRWRC. Said Jenkins-Wimmer: “The pandemic over the past year has been especially hard on women… but despite the hardships, women in Warren County continue to move forward with their dreams to make their lives better for themselves, their families and their community.”

In addition to Eackles, the following received awards:

• Hannah Derflinger, $1,000 to assist with tuition costs at Mary Washington University when, on graduation, she plans to help women victims of violence, and children in the foster system.
• Diane Garber, a single mom with a dream to becoming a hairdresser, $1,000 to assist with the cost of cosmetology training.
• Brittnay Johnson worked for many years at a local daycare center and now is a special education assistant in elementary school. She wants to continue her own learning and to set up a podcast. The podcast will help her provide information and helpful tips about community services as well as provide a forum to discuss current issues. Brittnay received a $1,000 award to help realize this ambition.
• Viviane Knight, $1,000 to help her own her own business in coaching women in the “silver season of their lives” following completion of a functional health coach program.
• Becky Lanham, Front Royal native who, after volunteering with Ameri-Corp in California and moving on to a career in Chicago, has returned home to continue a new passion, holistic women’s health care and abdominal therapy; a $1,000 award goes toward this end.
• Jillian Nemr received the $1,000 Linda Taylor Memorial Grant to assist with tuition as a nursing student at LFCC while also working as a certified nursing assistant at Warren Memorial Hospital. In the future, Nemr hopes to work with the nonprofit Doctors’ Without Borders. Her grant is for $1,000.
• Jasmirah Roland, another single mom with the motto “tomorrow is a new day” receives $1,000 to purchase a computer and supplies to assist with her college work and her writing. She is currently enrolled at LFCC in the Business Management program while also pursuing her dream to become a successful writer.
• Toni Sauder and her husband own and operate Bad Ass Pickle, a business she hopes to expand and plans to take a class on small business ownership, and an accounting class. She needs an iPad and received $600 to buy one.
• Jenny Statler grew up visiting Front Royal and her family’s farm, Eventually, because of COVID-19, she stayed and is following her dream to start a vineyard on that same family farm with a business associate who has nine years of experience in vineyard management and winery operations. She, too, was awarded $1,000.

In announcing the grants and scholarship contributions, FRWRC, in a news release, said: “We empower women to change their world!”