Above: LEE EASTMAN, BECKY GLIMCO, ELAINE FISHER, JOAN SCHAEFFER, VANESSA DION FLETCHER, MARCIA WILLIAMS, ESTELA HAMMOND and ANN SWANSON share commitment to the AAUW.
The AAUW Naperville Area held its Spring Awards Brunch on May 16 at White Eagle Golf Club.
During festivities to celebrate a prolific year of activities while recognizing this past year’s officers and installing new ones, Joan Schaeffer, Branch Co-President with Becky Glimco, presented the “Best of the Best Award” to all club members for their active year of service. She also recognized Ruth Heidorn with the “Branch Service Award.”
And attendees were updated regarding the organization’s annual used book sale set for June 10-13 at Celebration! Community Life Center.
Angeline Gale Memorial Scholarship recipient Marcia Williams shared her challenges in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in social work at Aurora University. Williams noted the trials that had come after the death of her children’s father as well as caring for a child with special needs. Yet, the single mother of four has been surprised by her own determination, acknowledging that her studies have introduced her to many options in the field that she said would not have explored without the help of the AAUW scholarship grant. Upon graduation in May 2016, Williams plans to earn her MSW.
Keynote speaker Vanessa Dion Fletcher, 2014-2015 AAUW International Fellowship Recipient, is a Potawatomi and Lenape artist from Canada. Currently, she’s studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her compelling presentation included engaging images, sidewalk chalk drawings, maps and video with commentary about her research based in traditional native artistic practices relative to her Potawatomi and Lenape heritage, the driving force of her work aimed to celebrate her culture. Find her story at cargocollective.com/dionfletcher.
Founder/editor of Positively Naperville, Stephanie Penick, was honored to receive the 2015 Woman of the Year. During interviews before the event, reporters had asked about the publication’s slogan “Printed Monthly, Digital Daily.” Explaining that print augments digital and vice versa, she elaborated on some of the unique challenges that have come with 21st century technology tools and extraordinary opportunities, mindful of unintended consequences of not finding the balance between print and digital media.
Every month in Greetings from Readers, PN features a quote attributed to Mark Twain about being as “shy as a newspaper when referring to its own merits.”
Folks who know Penick well recognize she’s shy—stubborn and often outspoken—but shy. She prefers a place behind the scenes in order to promote and photograph the people and places that distinguish this city, striving to sustain its success. She expressed gratitude on behalf of Positively Naperville to be honored by the AAUW.
