Kudos to these South Florida women who are honored for making a difference

Women, just getting started in their lives and those experienced and successful, will be celebrated on International Women’s Day, March 8. Here are some in South Florida who strive to make a difference.

Carrollton student honored

Congratulations to Isabella Cruz, 18, and a senior at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart on earning The Congressional Award Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor for civilian youth. The honor goes to those ages 14 to 24 who’ve challenged themselves to be their best selves. They are especially committed to voluntary public service, personal development and physical fitness.

“To earn The Congressional Award Gold Medal I completed over 440 hours of volunteer service, 283 hours of personal development, over 600 hours of physical fitness and completed an in-depth exploration,” Isabella said.

“Most of my volunteer service was through Girl Scouts, and I am very proud to be the first-ever Girl Scout to earn two Gold Awards. My first Gold Award Project was to renovate the old basketball court behind the Condon Community Hall in the rural town of Condon, Montana, where I have spent every summer. It took over a year of planning and work to raise funds and coordinate the installation of a new multi-sports court for the community.

“For my second Gold Award, I created an educational curriculum and workshop to teach high school girls about the dangers they face in high school and as they go off to college.”

Isabella is dedicated to photography, and her work was entered in the International Dark Sky photo contest and the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair.

For more about the program, contact Eric Fernandez at fernandez@congressionalaward.org

Children’s book focuses on dyslexia

In their new book, Monica Berg and her daughter Abigail, 9, explore the feelings that arise for children who don’t learn in a typical manner and celebrate how those differences can make them strong. They spoke recently at Sweet Haven Books in Cauley Square about “The Gift of Being Different,” an honest, compassionate and powerful book for children, and their parents, when there has been a diagnosis of dyslexia.

Inspired by Abigail’s learning differences, the mother and daughter wrote their book for 6-9 year-old readers. That’s about the age when dyslexia is discovered in a child. They tell their story, set in New York, with humor, authenticity, and the powerful message of celebrating and embracing our differences.

Berg is an international speaker, bestselling author of “Fear is Not an Option” and “Rethink Love,”and co-host of the Spiritually Hungry podcast.

Abigail, in her writing debut, is a shining example of what can be done when we embrace what makes us unique and transform it into a superpower, her mom said. Learn more and order at https://rethinklife.today/

Support young artists at gallery

The Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove will host the 23rd annual Young Artists’ Gallery March 11-12, at 2985 S. Bayshore Dr.

This is an opportunity to support Miami-Dade County’s finest high school artists by visiting their booths and even purchasing their work. The juried selection finalists will be on display and over $20,000 in scholarships will be awarded.

“As a working artist formed by my early education, I know how important art teachers are in an art student’s development. In this program we seek to encourage them even further,” said Lisa Remeny, the Club’s YAG Committee Chairwoman.

The exhibition will be open to all on March 11, 1-5 p.m., with an awards reception, 2-4 p.m. You can also visit 12-2 p.m. on March 12.

Longtime educator honored

Congratulations to former Mayor of Aventura Enid Weisman, lifelong educator, community advocate and public servant, who was honored with a proclamation at the January School Board meeting in recognition of 47 years of service at Miami-Dade County Public Schools. District 3 School Board Member Lucia Baez-Geller presented the award.

Weisman started out at Miami-Dade County Public Schools as a teacher at Allapattah Junior High and ascended the ranks, serving as an assistant principal and vice principal at multiple schools. She is also the founding principal of Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School in District 3.

Weisman took on the role of region director, and later, region superintendent, and from 2009 to 2012, she served as assistant superintendent. She then served as chief human capital officer of MDCPS. Other awards include State Master Teacher, Outstanding Social Studies Educator in the State of Florida, and Administrator of the Year, twice.

As mayor, Weisman was a champion of education and an advocate for her community. Her record of standing against anti-Semitism resulted in her being honored by the Anti-Defamation League with its Community of Respect Award, and she joined the Coalition of Mayors Against Hate, Antisemitism, and BDS.

She serves on Florida International University’s Vice Provost’s Council and was the first woman elected chair of the Aventura Hospital and Medical Center Board of Trustees. Weisman also served as chair of the Executive Board of New World School of the Arts, and in 2012, she was honored as Champion of the Arts for her support for the visual and performing arts in South Florida.

Weisman was given the Mayor’s Pioneer Award by the Dade County Commission for the Status of Women, and in 2018 she was honored with the “In the Company of Women” Award by the Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department for being an outstanding and pioneering woman leader.

Garden Club hosts fashion show

The Coral Gables Garden Club will celebrate its second annual Fashions and Florals Spring Luncheon at 11 a.m., March 10 at the Biltmore Hotel Country Club Ballroom. The fundraiser will help support club projects including habitat restoration at Girl Scout Camp Mahachee, garden therapy programs for the disabled and the elderly, a scholarship program for college and graduate-level students studying in the fields of the natural sciences, and landscape architecture and design.

Co-chairs Barbara Reese and Jo Peterson are organizing again and said they are thrilled with the generosity of Johnny Was and the event sponsors. Tickets are at https://www.coralgablesgardenclub.org/fashions-and-florals/

Write to ChristinaMMayo@gmail.com with news for this column.