Over 80 Orange County women were recognized for their contribution to the local community on April 22 at the sixth annual “Women of the Year” awards at Chapman University in Orange, California.
Each year, community members nominate friends, co-works, mothers, sisters, and neighbors for the award. More than 400 guests attended the ceremony this year at the university’s Sandhu Conference Center.
The award, initiated by Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) in 2018, has honored over 700 women since its inception.
“I was thinking about the sacrifices of the moms and women in our lives. They are really the silent warriors,” Correa told The Epoch Times before the ceremony.
“Women are mothers in our family … They’re like Marines. They always move forward and get the job done,” he said.
Among those honored was Sister Elaia Caro, who runs the Saint Francis Home for the Elderly, a nonprofit assisted living facility in Santa Ana, for her aid to aging residents.
Known by people under her care as a “woman of love and kindness,” the Franciscan missionary sister oversees the entire donor-funded program.
“[Caro] has created a safe and prayerful environment for her community,” a ceremony spokesperson said as Caro received her award.
Bernadette Boden-Albala, founder and dean of the UC–Irvine School of Public Health, was also recognized for her research throughout Orange County during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also actively involved in a national initiative to include more minorities in neurological clinical trials.
Each honoree received a Congressional certificate of honor, a small bouquet of flowers, and a pink soap gift set during the ceremony.
Correa said the ceremony was inspired by the sacrifice made by his own mother, who died shortly before he first took office in 2016. He said her care was what helped him achieve his current success.
“My mom didn’t have the chance to see me get sworn into office,” Correa said. “But I look back at my life and the difference she made, and I think that’s probably the same story a lot of us have … We don’t really appreciate our moms until they are gone.”
Though not an awardee, Fullerton’s Councilwoman Shana Charles was also in the audience sharing the appreciation.
“This is a great event, it’s so important to acknowledge the amazing women in our community,” Charles told The Epoch Times after the ceremony.
