Inspiring Women Contest

Earlier this season we asked you to nominate inspiring women, someone who:

• Inspires the people around her through her daily actions. Is encouraging and acts as a positive role model. Helps others reach their goals and go above and beyond their potential.
• Goes the extra mile to lend a hand to someone in need. Is selfless when supporting and assisting others.
• Strives to go above and beyond good enough. Never settles for half done, 50% or mediocre.
• Gives more to others than is given to them. Contributes time, energy, support and other forms of good to help people in need.

We got a lot of great entries and below are some of the highlights.

Briana Kremin (nominated by Dawna Kremin) - I know that this may sound dumb...however, my daughter inspires me. She just graduated from high school. She is holding 2 jobs and 1 internship. she is enrolled in college to be an orthodontist. She just bought her first car and is paying all her own bills. If I could have been where she is today when I was 18, life would sure have been different then. She loves life and enjoys all that she does. Who would not want to be inspired by that. She has such a positive outlook to life and I can tell she will one day grow up to be an important woman and assest to any one she come into contact with.

Maria Cruz (nominated by Wachema Cruz) - My mother is so wonderful to encourage me to get involved in different sports. She said I am deaf and I can do it everything that I can prove it to anyone that I am very capable to play sports against the hearing people who are not deaf. However, she really love me so much in her heart. She works at the Tattoo everyday. She not give up on her big dreams. I do help her a lot. She is a wonderful mother. Wachema Cruz

Bernadette Lott (nominated by Raven Lott) - I would like to nominate my mother Bernadette Lott. She means everything to me and shes my biggest fan and I'm her biggest fan. She does so much for me, for example shes given up so much of her time to dedicate to my basketball. The way she cares for other is amazing. Some of the little things she does just to put a smile on people faces is pay tolls for drivers behind us or give people in line the extra change if they need it. I have friends that go through a rough life and my mom is always right there for them when they need support. Words can't describe how much my mother means to me. Knowing shes dont so much for me I just want to give back to her and nominate her at the game as a suprise . Thank You

Trudi Lacey (nominated by Reinaldo Liem) - On July 17, 2011 I went to the staples center to watch Sparks vs Mystics. I had the opportunity to seat very close to the Mystic bench and observed the players and coaches. Coach Trudi qualities were: -Had a clear role of a team leader. - Being down by 20+ points she was always focus and interacting with the team. - When referee made doubtful calls she would reasonably speak/question the referee - She was able to 'glue' her team together and play a strong 2nd half. After the game she inspired me to: Always believe in myself. No matter how far the goal is, if you believe you can achieve. Be calm and be able to find the strategy for your circumstance. If you do this with a focus intent you might achieve victory. Thanks Coach Trudi for the great game! Reinado Liem

Deb Lopez (nominated by Sheria Wooden) - 'I'm Every Woman,' by Whitney Houston..heard of it, of course you have! The lyrics to this song describe the 'Inspiring Woman' that I am introducing. Growing up in a single parent home and in the projects in DC, I didn't have positive surroundings. I was nominated to attend this group called SNEAKERS in '95. The instructor of the course, Mrs. Deb, was an angel in disguise; I was able to talk to her about my problems, issues with life and so much more! I know a 5th grader having issues, well I did! It is now 2011 and I haven’t seen my “angel” in 16 years, until now. After diligently searching for her, I was able to find her, 16 years later 7/8/11 and was able to express my gratitude. The fact that she juggled spending time away from her birthed children, with a child that she didn’t give birth too, but still implemented those motherly qualities was such a blessing. She is still a motivating inner city female students. It is a task working with challenged youth. I am her legacy!

Aggie McCormick-Dix (nominated by Barbara Cannon) - Aggie McCormick-Dix is the Executive Director of the Fairfax Stars Basketball Program in the NOVA/DC/MD area and as such guided many young women, and young men too,through their youth basketball careers. Aggie gives selflessly of her time and money to help thousands of student athletes learn the fundamentals of basketball and compete at every level of play. A testament to her success is the vast number of her proteges who have gone on to play at all the major colleges and universities across the nation, and even two players on the Mystics team. Aggie inspired me,after retirement and after my own children were grown and moved on, to get involved with her Stars Program, as an administrator and event coordinator---an involvement which I will always cherish, as I learned to love the kids and their coaches and parents, and the entire atmosphere of the basketball community. Aggie has inspired not only me but thousands with her goal: always strive for excellence both on and off the court!

Linda Sorel (nominated by Shayla Sorel) - My mother inspires me in all ways. She has provided for me and my 4 siblings throughout our adulthood. She has served as a fosterparent to countless children since I was 13 yrs old along with my stepfather. She has an amazing spirit and continues to give of herself. Even through her past economic struggles and health concerns she stands firm in her faith and continues to encourage others. She has shown me humility,compassion and resilience. She has shown me how to be a strong woman. She is recently retired from teaching and already retired from a corporate career. She deserves the recognition as a truly inspirational woman. I love her dearly.

Susan Loftus (nominated by Terrie Young) - In all aspects of her life, she strives to drink in knowledge. She reads, listens, observes, and she retains. Then, using her fountain of knowledge she works hard to inspire others. She is an elementary physical education teacher in Montgomery County Maryland. Her students learn more than physical fitness, they learn physics, math, and social skills. Her students are inspired by her enthusiasm for learning. She is reward by accolades from parents, teachers, and the students. She was High School PE Teacher of the year a few years ago and could easily be Elementary PE Teacher of the Year. When Susan works for you she puts everything she has into finding the best solutions in the least amount of time for the best cost in dollars and time. She's creative and talented in designing artwork for tshirts. She won the 2009 WNBA shooting shirt contest for the Chicago Sky. She inspires me to be a better person, a better designer in my job and in our business, SOOZN Design & Print. She is amazing!

Lynn Carr (nominated by Olivia Carr) - My mom inspires me in more ways than I can even express. In all that she does, she is ALWAYS looking for ways to help others. She ALWAYS puts us, her kids, before herself. I never hear her ask for ANYTHING! If someone needs a friend, needs encouragment, she is always there, and always the first one to say, 'I'm going to go have lunch or coffee with them!' My mom is awesome!! She is the true definition of a servant, of a Proverbs 31 woman!! I love my mom...and we kids LOVE OUR MOM!!!

Mochel Morris (nominated by Elizabeth Martin) - Mochel is my pastor- at Christ Crossman United Methodist Church in Falls Church. She has been a role model there for the past ten years- as pastor, mother of two sons, and wife, struggling with demonstrating her faith and running a church while dealing over the last couple years with the terminal illness of her husband from cancer (he died in June 2011.) She has initiated new worship formats and educational programs to strengthen the church, and supported outreach mission ventures in our community and elsewhere in the country. She also is a basketball fan (a graduate of Duke School of THeology) and has agreed to be my guest at the July 26th game. When I saw that was your inspiring women night, I knew I had to nominate her.

Francine Williams (nominated by Delores Jackson) - Miss Williams runs a Day-Care/Summer Camp and when i first took my Neice to her at age 4 she couldn't read, write,or spell her name, now at age 12 she has a B average in school and miss Francine loves all her kids and her Workers, will do anything for any one, takes in another persons child and will spend her own money on them and for the kids that need School uniforms,books,paper etc.she will supply it for them if someone needs help with rent she will help,she encourges the young men to stay off the streets and do constructive things like play basketball,boxing,football, go to college to be doctors lawyer anything positive. She tells her young ladies to think about school before the boys and not have children until they are established in life. she stresses that respect is very important in life she always knows how to defuse a situation or comfort a child from crying when brought to the daycare for the first time she has the magic touch for her children and the community I Love her

Dorothy Swann (nominated by Pamela Rennick) - Dorothy Swann is my mother. She has a heart of gold and a spirit of service. She sedicates most of her time to helping others. She is a regular visitor of those in the hopital and nursing homes. IF YOU ARE SICK SHE WILL COME STAY WITH YOU OR FIX YOU A MEAL. She will call others to get them involved too. If someone dies, she's right there lending a helping hand. She will even sing in the funeral choir. In the community, she works deligently with the NAACP. She is the assistant secretary for them. She's her church secretary, Sunday School teacher, Sunday School Union credential commitee member, chairman for the church food committee, secretary for the Women's committee, and sings on two church choirs. If that is not enough, she works in the Middleburg Elementary School in Middleburg, VA. She is a fan of most sports. When I feel like I can't go on, I just think about my mom and know that I can do more. She truly is a mighty woman and deserves to be recognized! She has God's love.

Kathy Allen (nominated by James Buckley Jr.) - She is a great City Of Falls Church worker. She won the most recent of the city's employee of the year contest. She shows great communation skills with her fellow employees and is a marvolous family women. She met her husband in college in Candida and she really show me that she is a great mom. I co-work with a lot of Falls Church employees that went to the same High School that her husband went to. In my eyes this Jamie Allen has made the best choice for a wife than any man I knew that went to George Mason High School. I think he made a better choice than all of the people I went to High School with. I would even say that if I ever got married. I will never find a really great woman like the one Jamie Allen has. Even If I was lucky enough to be a WNBA husband.

Mae Best (nominated by Ramona Millard) - Ms. Best is the Executive Director, (ED) of East River Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc. (ERFSC), a DC based, Ward 7 non-profit agency. Ms. Best has been the ED of East River since 2000. Since she has taken the realm of ERFSC she has been the driving force to making ERFSC one of the communities’ most dynamic social service organizations. Ms. Best has a nurturing and mothering spirit. The 50+ employees that she oversees at the agency look up to her as a strong and dynamic presence in the community. On a personal note, I have the pleasure of being th Executive Assistant to Ms. Best. I have witnessed first had how much she cares for the people of ERFSC, Ward 7 and the District. She fights for what she believes in and is known throughout the collaborative movement as a driving force. She is a well-educated woman that really knows how to articulate her passion for helping people. She truly has the heart of a social worker. She is such an inspiration to me.