Front Royal Women’s Resource Center celebrates local women and 2022 Dare to Dream Grant recipients

The Front Royal Women’s Resource Center (FRWRC) announced its 2022 Dare to Dream grant recipients and Elaine Bromfield Memorial Scholarship recipients during a Zoom No Breakfast Breakfast Award Ceremony. The FRWRC awarded a total of $10,000 in grant and scholarship money to nine local women, all with goals and dreams to better their lives, the lives of their families and the lives of other women in the community.

“Awarding our annual Dare To Dream grants is our most fulfilling event of the year and also has the most visible impact on our community,” said Susan Gillette, President of the FRWRC Board. “Over the past two decades, we have witnessed first-hand how these grants directly help women achieve their personal, professional and educational goals that in turn, help women improve their lives, the lives of their families and build a stronger community for all of us! With the support of our community and our dedicated donors, we are thrilled to be able to distribute nine new grants to area women this year and we look forward to watching these women soar in 2022.”

The 2022 Dare to Dream Grant Recipients

Jeanne Anderson – Jeanne is a mom of two young children who is working hard to start her own business and work from home. Her goal with JMS Business Services LLC is to do data entry and provide accounting services to local CPAs. She also plans to continue her education towards becoming a CPA herself. Jeanne Anderson has been awarded $1,000 to upgrade computer equipment.

Laura Corebello – Laura is a retired art teacher who worked in the public schools of NJ and VA for a total of 30 years. She developed art curriculum and taught grades K-5. Her love for teaching did not retire and she continues to teach art to children and adults in Front Royal. She also continues to paint and sell her own artwork. Her future goal is to continue teaching art in our community including adults, children, family paint days, art for home schoolers and to offer a class for children with special needs. She is seeking locations to host classes as two previous locations she used have closed. She also plans to get a web page developed so she can reach out with information about classes and even do some virtual teaching. Laura Corbello has been awarded $1,000 to help get her web page designed and to purchase art supplies for classes.

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Chelsey Cross – Chelsey is currently a sophomore at Lord Fairfax Community College. After graduation in May she is transferring to George Mason University to continue her studies.  She will be pursuing a degree in Physical Education so she can share her love of physical activity with her students. Chelsea has dreamed of being a teacher since the second grade and wants to give back to her community by starting her teaching career in Warren County. She also plans to keep learning and is currently deciding on a Master’s Degree program. Chelsey Cross has been awarded the Elaine Bromfield Memorial Scholarship for $1,500 to help with college costs.

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Kimberly Hancock – Kimberly received a Dare to Dream Grant in 2019 to help launch her graphic and web design business called Kismet Designs. In 2020, she added a new business venture and opened a Code Ninjas Dojo in Front Royal. Here, children ages 7-14 learn coding using video games as the platform. She now has goals of offering STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts Mathematics) activities in the dojo. She wants to add several pieces of new equipment which include a 3D printer for Education and kits of materials to allow multiple children to work on projects at a time. Her dream will help Code Ninjas continue to grow by offering more classes to children in the community. Kimberly Hancock has been awarded $1,000 to purchase new equipment for the STEAM activities.

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Tina Marie Johnson – Tina has been fiercely independent her whole life. She put herself through school starting with community college, and then earning a BS Degree in Developmental psychology, a MA in Cognitive Developmental Psychology and work towards a PHD at Tufts University. Along the way Tina reawakened her love of poetry that began in elementary school. She began teaching poetry through the Life Long Learning Institute at Tufts. She returned to Virginia, worked with children and families, and wrote poetry until a disease of the nervous system forced her to be wheel chair bound.  She now has a space that allows her to write again, make art and organize poetry classes to teach both in person and online. She has started a business called Blue Mountain Poetry Salon and her goals for the business are to teach poetry workshops, to make and sell art, to give back to her community by creating a little free art gallery on her property and to provide some free scholarships for her poetry workshops. Tina Johnson has been awarded $1,000 to purchase some adaptive technology that will allow her to achieve her goals.

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Mackenzie Oakes – Mackenzie decided early on that she wanted to devote her life to helping others. She saw the need to provide affordable in-home health care firsthand as she helped her grandmother manage her diabetes and disease related complications. She put her education on the fast-track graduating from high school early and dual enrolling at Laurel Ridge Community College (LFCC).  She will graduate in May of 2022 from the Shenandoah University Doctorate of Pharmacy Program. She has a dream to one day be able to provide in-home infusion services to patients requiring long term IV drug therapy. Her dreams also include becoming a teacher with the aim to volunteer as a medical educator through the US Peace Corps. Mackenzie Oaks has been awarded the Elaine Bromfield Memorial Scholarship of $1,500 to assist with costs of the ASHP Teaching Certificate program and testing fees related to obtaining a Virginia License.

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Kisha Phillips – In April 2021, Kisha fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning her own business by purchasing a franchise location of “Card My Yard”. Card My Yard is a yard greeting company that rents customized signs for 24 hours. What started as a personal goal and vision for herself has actually become a family affair.  Their focus is on helping others bring joy and celebration to those they love with a unique sign. Kisha has also given back to the community by providing signs for the town of Front Royal and some of the elementary schools. Kisha Phillips has been awarded $1,000 to help with the costs of increasing storage space for her growing business.

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Joy Smiley – Joy is a single mother of four who is working hard to start her own Virginia licensed in- home childcare business. She is finishing all of the required classes and making sure her home is ready for the home inspection to obtain her state license. Now that her own children are older, she wants to help parents to have safe and affordable childcare while they are at work or school. She dreams of one day having her own day care center. Joy Smiley has been $1,000 to help purchase items to make sure her home is safe and ready for children.

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Vicki Taylor – Vicki has dedicated her life to helping people and trying to save lives as a volunteer fire fighter, an EMT and now as an LPN. During her education in these fields, she noted the struggle people often had finding a CPR instructor to teach this important and necessary class. She decided to step up to fill this void and took the training to be a CPR instructor.  Her goal is to provide classes for anyone who needs or wants this life saving skill and CPR certification. Vicki Taylor was awarded $1,000 to purchase CPR Manikins and other related supplies so she can be ready to teach.

About Front Royal Women’s Resource Center

The Front Royal Women’s Resource Center (FRWRC) is a 25-year-old non-profit organization, dedicated to providing a support network for women in the Warren County area through programs, information and education. Over the last two decades, FRWRC has provided networking opportunities, spotlighted women leaders in our community and awarded more than $142,000 in grants and scholarships to 191 Warren County women and girls to support education, and professional and personal enrichment opportunities. We empower women to change their world. Visit our website frwrc.org and follow us on Twitter @FRWRC.

Support the Front Royal Women’s Resource Center  frwrc.org/donate