The Santa Fe College Women of Distinction recognizes outstanding female service in Alachua and Bradford Counties, and was created by the Women's History Committee at Santa Fe College in 1987. Women of Distinction has honored more than 180 outstanding women in the community since its inception and acknowledges new women each spring at a formal ceremony.
Our annual luncheon will be held March 24, 2020, at the Hilton Conference Center in Gainesville, Florida. We will dedicate our Women of Distinction luncheon in celebration of the 100th Year Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage and its transforming accomplishments. We encourage you to make your reservations early. Please contact Teri McClellan at 352-395-5201 or teri.mcclellan@sfcollege.edu to reserve your ticket or a table.
Nominations for the 2020 Women of Distinction and Women of Promise are now open and will be accepted through October 31, 2019. Details are available on the Nomination Form.
The 2019 Women of Distinction and Promise Honorees: Nilanjana Sengupta Caballero, Emily Acevedo (Woman of Promise), Linda Lee, Layne Sasser (Honorary Woman of Distinction), Carol Bosshardt, Gussie M. Lee and Fran Maris
A Little History
"One of the bedrocks of this institution is the acknowledgement of outstanding women leaders in our community," stated Santa Fe President Jackson Sasser.
In 1987, Dr. Ann Bromley, coordinator of women's programs and special projects at Santa Fe College, sought to develop a program that would provide recognition and visibility to women for their contributions of time and talent. A committee was formed and the “Women of Distinction" honor began. Since its inception, Santa Fe College has bestowed the Woman of Distinction honor to over 180 remarkable women. In 2000, the committee created a special "Millennium Woman of Distinction" award and chose two previous recipients for the honor. Rosa B. Williams (Alachua County) and Joyce D. Riherd (Bradford County) were chosen for their tireless efforts on improving life for indigent people in their communities.
In 2006, the "Woman of Promise" category was added to honor outstanding up-and-coming young women for leadership in their community and civic involvement. So far, 16 young ladies have received this honor.
In 2014, the Women of Distinction honorees began raising funds to establish the first Woman of Distinction Scholarship fund. The first award was given for the 2015-16 academic year. With your support, through the SF Women of Distinction Scholarship, we have raised over $171,000 to endow three scholarships designed to enable women to achieve their academic goals without the financial burden which might inhibit the pursuit of their dreams for independence.
Our goal this year is to complete a fourth and fifth scholarship totaling an endowment of $250,000 to support and mentor women in perpetuity. We have two donors that have stepped forward and will match donations up to $20,000 (each have pledged $10,000) to help us reach our goal.
Do you have someone you would like to honor with a permanent legacy? Ask us how! Contact Teri McClellan at teri.mcclellan@sfcollege.edu or 352-395-5201.