February 12, 2024 – Three Women of Distinction and one Woman of Promise will receive awards from Santa Fe College (SF) at the annual SF Women of Distinction and Promise luncheon ceremony to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at the University of Florida Hilton Conference Center, 1714 SW 34th Street, Gainesville 32607. This year’s event sponsor is Teal Tile Carpet One in Starke, Florida.
Tickets are $40 per person. Because seating is limited, tickets must be purchased in advance; tickets will not be sold at the door. Tickets and additional sponsorship opportunities, including the ability to purchase tables for 10 people, are available online here.
For more than 35 years, Santa Fe College has honored women for improving the lives of people through contributions of time, money and expertise. This year’s Women of Distinction are:
- Naima Brown, Vice President for Student Affairs at Santa Fe College, who supports student success on the job and in the community.
- Jeannine Hogue, lifetime volunteer for community service organizations in Gainesville.
- Chrissy Thompson, former health care worker, current restaurant owner and volunteer who promotes health in Bradford County.
This year’s Woman of Promise is Honesty Huston, a recent graduate of Newberry High School and active volunteer who is aiming for a career in health care.
“Women are the backbone of a thriving community. They are the caretakers and nurturers, they are the bedrock of our society, and I am honored to be part of a college committed to highlighting the importance of women,” SF President Paul Broadie said. “Because of the outstanding women we have honored over the years, more than a quarter-million dollars has been raised for scholarships for women in our community, so they can achieve their goal of a college education and continue to do the life-changing work that uplifts our entire community.”
Students in the SF Fine Arts programs will entertain to open the event. Santa Fe College President Paul Broadie will describe new programs at the college. Videos of each of this year’s award winners will be shown, followed by awards presentations to the honorees on stage.
Since the Women of Distinction awards were created in 1987, Santa Fe College has recognized over 192 women for their leadership in Alachua and Bradford counties. In 2006, a Woman of Promise category was added to honor outstanding young women. Since then, 20 young Women of Promise have been named.
In 2014, the Women of Distinction honorees began raising funds to establish scholarships for Santa Fe College students. To date, five scholarships have been created to help area women achieve their academic dreams.
For more information about the Women of Distinction program, the awards luncheon and tickets, or sponsorships call Teri McClellan, 352-395-5201 or Rose Christy, 352-395-5206.