SPR Furthering the Dream Award
Our Mission and Vision for Furthering the Dream Award
The mission of the Sierra Pacific Region Furthering the Dream Award is to advance the status of women, through financial support when studying for baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, law, medicine, teaching, technical degrees or certifications, etc. who are pursuing a course of study non-traditional for women, or that which will improve the lives of women/girls.
Our hope is to support women who are working in fields that support the Soroptimist mission of improving the lives of women and girls so that they will become a strong voice for all women.
Candidates Must Be:
- Soon to complete a degree or program – baccalaureate or beyond (and in their last year), or an advanced certificate program
- Citizens of a country represented by Soroptimist International of the Americas,
- Live within and be currently enrolled in a university or program located within the territory of the Sierra Pacific Region which includes the counties of Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne in California.
Previous recipients of a Soroptimist club Live Your Dream Awards are encouraged to apply if they are soon to complete their next level of education.
- Soroptimist members and their families are excluded from the competition.
Application Information
Application materials are due by March 01, 2026. For more information, click on the link below or contact the Chair: Dr. Lynette Grandison, lynettegrandison3@gmail.com, 209-480-8929
Furthering the Dream Writable Application (pdf)
Download the Flyer for additional information
The selected recipients of the Sierra Pacific Region Furthering the Dream Award will be notified and invited to attend the Sierra Pacific Region Spring Conference Awards Luncheon on May 16, 2026, in Fresno, to provide a brief presentation about their scholastic program and receive their award.
HISTORY OF THE FELLOWSHIP GRANT:
1948
At its inception in 1948 our Soroptimist Pacific Region (which included the clubs currently in the Sierra Pacific Region) wanted to assist women in the last year of their post-graduate studies in political science, international relations, or allied fields only.
1952
In 1952 the Pacific Region was divided into three separate regions and Southwestern Region took over the Fellowship program.
1958
The original restrictions of areas of study were eliminated 10 years later in 1958 because Soroptimist realized we needed more women in more post-graduate degree programs in order to be competitive with men in work and in the world. The program was amended to encourage women to pursue post-graduate degrees in ALL fields of study including psychology, law, nuclear engineering, etc. When the Southwestern Region was divided into three separate regions, creating the Sierra Pacific Region, Founders Region took over the Fellowship Program.
2019
At the May 2019 Board meeting, the Governor introduced the History of Fellowship and asked the Board to re-evaluate our application criteria to include and support women in all fields of study. At the July 2019 Board meeting, the Board voted to amend the criteria and procedures for the Fellowship Program to include all fields of study, not just Masters/PhDs that require a thesis, and eliminate the restriction to women and girls issues/areas of study.