Journey 2008 delegates selected six women who are among those honored through inclusion in the Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame established by the Howard County Commission for Women.

The other six women awardees were interviewed by delegates last summer who subsequently designed awards to recognize each woman’s special attributes and accomplishments.

Honorees included:  Evelyn Bolduc, Leila Lee Hajek, Donna Rice, Ann Mech, Mary Ruth Seidel and Sue Song, all of whom are in the Women’s Hall of Fame. 

Other awardees included: Dolores Abreu, Suzanne Coughlin, Sharon Hassan, Charlene Muhannad, Mohga Osman and Mary Weeks.

Delegates to Journey 2008 honored a dozen local residents in “A Celebration of Women” awards banquet Dec. 13, at Howard Community College.

The awardees included professional and civic leaders and philanthropists, as well as other women role models who have overcome personal hardships and obstacles to attaining their goals in life.  

Journey 2008 delegates selected six women who are among those honored through inclusion in the Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame established by the Howard County Commission for Women. The other six women awardees were interviewed by delegates last summer who subsequently designed awards to recognize each woman’s special attributes and accomplishments.  

Honorees included: Evelyn Bolduc, Leila Lee Hajek, Donna Rice, Ann Mech, Mary Ruth Seidel and Sue Song, all of whom are in the Women’s Hall of Fame.  Other awardees included: Dolores Abreu, Suzanne Coughlin, Sharon Hassan, Charlene Muhannad, Mohga Osman and Mary Weeks.  

The awardees shared some of their life stories with the over 130 attendees, including many mother-daughter combinations, at the banquet.  Some spoke of cultural bias and discrimination, of economic hardships and illusive opportunities and of long journeys of self-discovery.  “Keep going.  Things will change.  It is never too late,” Abreu told the Journey delegates.  

Journey is a week-long residential leadership development program for middle and high school girls supported by the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County (WGC) and operated by Maryland Leadership Workshops.  

The 2008 delegates developed the awards banquet based on the theme of “celebrating women,” the focus of their practicum, one portion of an intensive camp experience that included a confidence course, as well as workshops on self-awareness and decision making and other topics.

The Women’s Giving Circle is an organization of women philanthropists dedicated to addressing the needs of women and girls in Howard County.  MLW has been providing leadership training programs for middle and high school students in the state of Maryland for over 50 years.

Fifty-four girls attended the Journey summer camp and follow-up program in 2008. A total of 117 girls have completed the program since its start in 2006. The signature program was founded and is financially supported by contributions from 582 donors to WGC.  

WGC also funds scholarships for women taking job-related courses at Howard Community College, emergency funding for non-profits serving women and girls, programs for mothers and daughters, a STEM Career Expo and a variety of other initiatives to advance its mission throughout the year.  

Journey 2009 is set for June 21-27, 2009, at Washington College in Chestertown, MD.  Student delegates to the program will live in the college dorms, eat in the college cafeteria, and experience a collegiate atmosphere.  Applications and other information about WGC are available at www.womensgivingcircle.org.