Women Leaders Forum

Women Leaders Forum Scholarship Luncheon, May 20, 2016

Susan Stein Social Scene

Women Leaders Forum
(From left) Karla Ocampo Arimendi, Kristin Schmidt, Deborah Tryon and Tiffany Dalton at the Women Leaders Forum annual scholarship luncheon.

Six months of hard work and mentorship culminated with the celebration of scholarship recipients when the Women Leaders Forum (WLF) hosted its annual scholarship luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells.

Tiffany Dalton and Christy Gilbert-Holstege ably chaired the event.

Deborah Tryon, outgoing president of WLF, welcomed and thanked more than 150 guests to the luncheon filled with proud parents, students, and supporters.

La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans acknowledged the organization’s partners and sponsors, including: Desert Healthcare District, UC-Riverside, Palm Desert, The Theresa Mike Foundation, Desert Medical Imaging, Cuistot Restaurant, Palm Desert Art Museum, FIND Food Bank, CSU-San Bernardino, College of the Desert, B. Maya Canto, MD of Aesthetic Art, Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs Greater CVB, Kristi Hansen, Peggy Cravens, Helene Galen and Eileen Fisher.

Thanks to the generous sponsors and donors, scholarships valued at more than $95,000 were presented to 21 graduating seniors within the Coachella Valley. These students successfully completed the 700-hour Young Women Leaders program (YWL) annual mentorship program, provided by WLF.

From November through April, 98 students from 10 Coachella Valley high schools worked with 42 adult mentors in 19 different career fields. Students also attended six, four-hour educational sessions taught by 26 guest speakers with topics such as art, etiquette, public speaking, finances, health and wellness, and community service with WLF’s partner FIND Food Bank.

Scholarships were awarded to students set to attend the following schools: University of Southern California, University of California, California Polytechnic State University, California State University, UC Berkeley, Notre Dame de Namur University, College of the Desert, Pepperdine University, University of Redlands, and Haverford College.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Susan Murphy delivered a lively message that included seven tips for self-confidence to prove her theory that “beliefs stimulate actions”. Murphy said although it’s a sad fact that women are less confident than men, taking action and not over thinking so many issues would prove to be handy tools for their future. Murphy’s advice that laughing was 200 times more powerful than morphine left the guests in a wonderful mood.

Amanda Cardinal, a 2015 scholarship recipient, spoke of her first two years at Oklahoma University. This articulate and confident speaker thanked the WLF team for giving her the skills to make her an outstanding college student.

Along with the students and their families, the guests included inspiring women such as Patti Gribow, Cathy Muldoon, Kristi Kneiding, Amy Blaisdell, Lani Garfield, Connie Golds, Arlene Amick, Jenell Fontes, Dr. Suzanne Quardt, Nona Solowitz, Annette Said, Dr. Sonja Fung and Sylvia Chernick.

Women Leaders Forum of the Coachella Valley
74-932 Highway 111, PMB 129, Indian Wells, CA 92210
760-837-7222
www.wlfdesert.org

Photography by Pat Krause