Nikole Babb
nbabb@cherryroad.com
On Thursday, January 23, the Soroptimist International El Dorado group met at the Hubbard Welcome Center on the Butler Community College campus to award a nursing student a $1,000 scholarship.
Soroptimist International is a global women-led volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to education and training needed to achieve economic empowerment. The organization was founded in 1921 in Oakland, California before women could join organizational groups. The name, Soroptimist, translates from Latin as ‘best for women’.
The club is centered around education for women and girls because it’s been proven that educated women and girls are less vulnerable to sex trafficking, lead more productive lives, are more likely to leave a violent or abusive relationship, more likely to have access to healthcare, less likely to live in poverty, and raise stronger families with more likelihood to educate their own daughters.
One program the Soroptimist International El Dorado utilize to promote the education of women in Butler County is the Live Your Dream award. The award is given out yearly to one female Butler Community College student to use on tuition or any means necessary that would help them along their educational journey. This can include childcare, car fixes, food, and anything that promotes her wellbeing.
This year’s recipient of the Live Your Dream award is Vanessa Castillo, a third-year college student enrolled in the nursing program at Butler Community College. The Soroptimist group said it was unanimous when they were reviewing applications on who they wanted to choose as recipient.
Castillo is 28 years old and is from Emporia. She began her education journey with Emporia State University in 2015 where she attained her general education credits, unsure of where her path would take her. In 2016 she became a single mother, giving birth to her son, Avian.
While she loves her son dearly, single motherhood has put pauses in her education as she’s needed to take time to pay for childcare and other necessities. Through the years she realized she wanted to be a nurse as she enjoyed taking care of people and helping them. She attained her Licensed Practical Nurse, (LPN), certification from Flint Hills Technical College in 2019 before accepting a position at Newman Hospital in the Inpatient Rehabilitation department.
Castillo decided she wanted to continue her education and further her nursing career and enrolled at Butler Community College because of the great reputation she had heard about the college. She applied and was accepted into the LPN to RN program in fall 2024. Now she commutes from Emporia to El Dorado as needed for classes to continue her education and career. She says that she hopes to work in the Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Decision Unit, or Emergency Department, but admitted that she loves all areas of healthcare.
Congratulations to Vanessa Castillo and good luck on your journey!
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