Amelia Earhart Tribute 
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Every Woman Deserves a Voice—Help Us Amplify It.
Every Woman Deserves an Opportunity—Help Us Provide It.
Women Making a Difference
On March 9th at the Ludlow Country Club we celebrate International Women's Day.
The public is invited to join us in honoring four women who are making a difference in our communities.
RSVP by March 2, 2026 at info@ZontaQV.org.
5:30 Reception, 6:00 Dinner followed by the Program.
Pay at the door for the buffet ($30 for table of 8; $35 individual) or pay online.
Each year in March, the global community celebrates International Women's Day (IWD), recognizing women for their achievements regardless of national, ethnic, linguistic, economic or political divisions. The Zonta International community also celebrates Zonta Rose Day, a time to reflect and give tribute to the women who have empowered us.
In this spirit, the Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley proudly announces its Women Making a Difference Award dinner on March 9th at the Ludlow Country Club. The theme of this year’s International Women's celebration “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” calls for inclusive legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, and addressing structural barriers to justice and opportunity for women and girls. Our honorees for 2026 are champions for this theme.
Honorees:
Samantha Hamilton
As Director of Coalition Building and Community Engagement at the Public Health Institute of Western Mass and co-founder of A Queen's Narrative, she leverages over 22 years of experience to advance health equity, address environmental and social disparities, and empower women and girls.
Jacqueline Velez
With over sixteen years of experience, this Lead Organizer for Holyoke's Neighbor to Neighbor and Community Project Coordinator for Live Well Springfield drives campaigns for criminal justice reform, climate action, and housing justice.
Marianne Winters
With a career dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault, she has held executive leadership roles at Jane Doe, Inc. and the Rape Crisis Center of Central Massachusetts prior to her nearly 15-year tenure as Executive Director of Safe Passage.
Darlene Elias
A social worker, writer, and activist with over 33 years of advocacy in child welfare, and community organizing; a cofounder of the Writing Sisters collective; and a board member of Alianza and the Strawdog Writers Guild.
Amelia Earhart Tribute
Zonta International honors Amelia Earhart, an early Zontian and a pioneer for women's equality, especially in STEM, by sponsoring the Amelia Earhart Fellowship for women pursuing Ph.D.s in aerospace engineering and space sciences, continuing her legacy of breaking barriers and encouraging women in male-dominated fields. Clubs around the world celebrate her legacy every January; her courage and pioneering spirit as a pilot and advocate for women serve as a model, encouraging women to pursue ambitious careers and reach their full potential
On January 12th, the Quaboag Club invited members from the Zonta International Amelia Earhart Committee and the 2025 Amelia Earhart Fellowship winners from District 1 to join us on Zoom to share their inspiring stories. And on January 15th, Zonta District 1 celebrated the most recent fellows at an Amelia Earhart Dinner hosted by the Zonta Club of Chelsea and North Shore in collaboration with the Zonta Club of Malden – featuring guest speaker Irene Porro, Ph.D, Director of the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center for Intergraterd Science Learning at Framingham State University. Mary Knight, representing the District Board, presented the Amelia Earhart Fellows with their wings. Each also received $10,000, certificate and one year's membership in Zonta.
The 2025 Amelia Earhart Fellows:
Myrella Viera Cabral, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Areronautics and Astronautics, MIT.
Palak Patel, Ph.D. candidate i mechanical engineering, MIT.
Fatima Zaidouni, Ph.D. candidate in physics, MIT
Casey McDermott from District 1 was one of the 10 exceptional applicants selected for a 2025 Zonta Women in Business Leadership International Award.
Thirty–five (35) exceptional applicants from 26 countries were considered in the selection for the 10 international awards. The recipients will receive a complimentary one-year supporting membership in Zonta International starting in the next fiscal year (1 June 2026) and US $10,000 award. A biographical description of each recipient will be posted on the Zonta International website by the end of January 2026.
Casey McDermott was the applicant from the Quaboag Club selected by the District 1 WBLA evaluation committee to have her application/materials submitted to ZI. This is exciting for our District as it represents what collaboration and communication between District 1 Clubs can result in. Casey is from Nova Scotia and at the request of the Amherst Club, an ask was made of District 1 Clubs to accept her application as the Nova Scotia Clubs were not offering the WBL award this year. The Quaboag Club stepped up and agreed to accept Casey's application and ultimately determined they would submit her name/application to District 1.
Casey McDermott was the applicant from the Quaboag Club selected by the District 1 WBLA evaluation committee to have her application/materials submitted to ZI. This is exciting for our District as it represents what collaboration and communication between District 1 Clubs can result in. Casey is from Nova Scotia and at the request of the Amherst Club, an ask was made of District 1 Clubs to accept her application as the Nova Scotia Clubs were not offering the WBL award this year. The Quaboag Club stepped up and agreed to accept Casey's application and ultimately determined they would submit her name/application to District 1.
AND here she is the recipient of one of ten awards… such an accomplishment.
The Women in Business Leadership Award honors exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, ethical conduct and significant contributions while addressing global or local issues affecting women and girls or climate change. We believe Casey McDermott’s application exemplifies her commitment to these things and that she has and is taking action to build a better world for women and girls through service and advocacy.
Read more about Casey, including her essay, on ZontaQV.org/scholarships. Scroll to the bottom of the page.