Soroptimist International of Hays, a volunteer organization for business and professional women held its annual awards ceremony Wednesday at Fort Hays State University Memorial Union. The club recognized four women in different areas.

 

Allison Hohmann, Hays, and Brooke Schmidt, Victoria, each were honored with the Violet Richardson Award, which recognizes young women age 14 to 17 for demonstrating leadership by identifying an issue important to them in their communities and the world and addressing it through their volunteer efforts. Allison is a student at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School and volunteers through the Girl Scouts. Brooke is a student at Victoria High School and volunteers through CYO.

Madison McClellan received the Ruby Award, which honors ordinary women, who through their professional or personal activities, make extraordinary efforts on behalf of women and girls. It also provides a $500 award, which the recipient can donate to the charity of her choice.

McClellan plans to donate her $500 award to For Keeps, an organization that McClellan started in 2011. She saw the need in the community to provide clothing to less-fortunate girls — clothing that would help the girls feel confident at school. McClellan teamed with Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide the clothing to those in need.

Brooklyn Foster, Plainville, received the Women’s Opportunity Award. Soroptimist International of Hays is one of 1,300 clubs that make up Soroptimist International of the Americas, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. The Women’s Opportunity Awards program provides women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families with the financial resources to offset costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills and training. The award can be used for tuition, books, childcare, carfare or any other education-related expense.

Foster will use the cash award to get her nursing degree at North Central Kansas Technological College. She also plans to further her education and obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Fort Hays State University. Foster currently works at Rooks County Health Center.

Once she completes her studies, Foster plans to be a life-flight nurse or work in a trauma unit.

“I enjoy the high speed pace of trauma, and knowing you have assisted in saving a life is the greatest feeling in the world,” Foster said.