Traditionally, stars represent the outstanding, the bright, the good, the positive.
They symbolize noble and shining goals. Stars, as people, stand out from others; they leave a distinct mark in life and in society. There are stars on the rise in our area!
Consider changing ‘several’ to ‘ten’ to match the headline and body count., either through the P.E.O. or through its own Jean B. Duerr Memorial Scholarship.
P.E.O. has been celebrating women helping women reach for the stars for more than 150 years. Since its inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 129,000 women pursue educational goals by providing over $462 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans. The Sisterhood also owns and supports Cottey College in Missouri, the only non-sectarian college in the United States that is owned and operated by women for women.
Through membership, the P.E.O. Sisterhood has brought together more than half a million women in the United States and Canada who are passionate about helping women advance through education, while supporting and motivating them. In addition to educational philanthropies, the P.E.O. Sisterhood provides a framework of support and community for all members.
What started with a bond of friendship among seven women in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, is now one of the oldest women’s organizations in North America with close to 5,400 chapters.
To learn more about P.E.O., its powerful educational philanthropies and see stories of women who have benefited from the programs, visit peointernational.org.
This year’s P.E.O. Project recipients include:
Briana Carper, Program for Continuing Education (PCE) (need-based grant) and ELF Loan (up to $20,000 for her MS degree); Florence Onyike, International Peace Scholarship (IPS) (up to $12,500); Trio Springer, Educational Loan Fund (ELF) (up to $25,000 for her DNP degree); Tess Dickhans, $2,500 STAR Scholarship; and Layla McCall, Virginia State Scholarship Fund (VSSF) Designated Scholar ($2,000 min).
Briana Carper, with the help of her PCE grant and her ELF loan, will attend Radford University to pursue an MS in Counseling and Human Development with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, while working as a Graduate Assistant. Her goal is to become a Licensed Professional Counselor.
PCE provides need-based grants to women whose education has been interrupted and who find it necessary to return to school to support themselves and/or their families. The ELF loan has an interest rate of 2% which does not accrue until after graduation. The loan also provides a six-month grace period with no interest and no payment during those months.
Trio Springer also has been awarded an ELF loan. She has pursued her degrees while working as a school nurse and raising four boys.
She is currently in her final year as a Doctor of Nursing Practice student at Radford University. She believes that the DNP degree will enable her to provide even higher-quality care to her patients, to serve as a stronger leader within her profession and to mentor future nurses.
According to her, the ELF loan has brought her one step closer to achieving her lifelong dream and advancing her career as a future Nurse Practitioner. She is excited about using her higher education to give back to the community and to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Florence Onyike is a recipient of an IPS which provides scholarships for international women students to pursue graduate study in the U.S. or Canada.
She is a PhD candidate in Geosciences at Virginia Tech, where her research focuses on groundwater sustainability and land subsidence.
She studies managed aquifer recharge (MAR) as a strategy to replenish depleted groundwater supplies and stabilize land that has sunk due to over-pumping, with particular attention to underserved and rapidly urbanizing communities most vulnerable to water insecurity.
Florence is committed to turning her research into practical tools that help water managers and communities anticipate and withstand water-related hazards before they become crises.
Tess Dickhans will attend Appalachian State University and will major in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science. Her goal is to attend dental school and become a dentist.
Since App State does not have a pre-dental track, kinesiology will provide a strong background for dental school. She also plans to take some required dental classes as she completes her undergraduate work.
The STAR Scholarship that she received provides scholarships for exceptional high school senior women to attend an accredited postsecondary institution in the U.S. or Canada.
Layla McCall is a Virginia State Scholarship Fund Designated Scholar which provides scholarships to women who are U.S. citizens and domiciled in Virginia to attend an accredited Virginia school of higher education.
As an upper classman at Virginia Tech, Layla will continue her degree work in Clinical Neuroscience this year on a pre-medical track.
She hopes to ultimately pursue an MD/PhD program to become a physician-scientist. She is particularly interested in researching neurodevelopmental disorders. She also looks forward to starting a research internship through the Integrated Health Sciences & Research Program, where she will be matched with a lab at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.
Chapter AU also offers scholarships from its own Jean B. Duerr Memorial Fund. The fund was established by Duerr’s husband to honor her memory. Jean Duerr was a past president and loyal member of Chapter AU and the P.E.O. sisterhood until her death in 1991.
The fund has provided scholarships to deserving women for more than 30 years. Chapter AU had five recipients of the Jean B. Duerr Memorial Scholarship, each receiving $2,200 for the 2026 – 2027 academic year: Zahra Bahranifard, Naisha Hudait, Jorja Lawson, Monica Shanmugam and Brooke Werthmann.
As a PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech, Zahra Bahranifard’s research project is the design and development of biocompatible multi-material integration in 3D/4D printing to bridge the gap between material innovation, advanced fabrication, and real-world biomedical applications. Her long-term commitment is research that connects fundamental materials science with biological performance.
She is committed to completing her research while remaining engaged in community building, cultural exchange, and supporting fellow graduate students.
Naisha Hudait graduated from Blacksburg High School this past May. She will attend the University of Virginia where she plans to study neuroscience to be able to dive deeper into how the brain works and how we can use that knowledge to treat neurological disorders.
She is excited to explore research on epilepsy, brain-computer interfaces and decision making while staying grounded in compassion and patient care. She believes that understanding people is just as important as understanding neurons.
Jorja Lawson will attend Johnson and Wales University, a highly respected and accredited Culinary College, to earn an associate’s degree in culinary arts. She will then aim for a BA in Culinary Nutrition.
Her goal is to make memorable food that not only tastes good and evokes memories but also fits specific nutritional needs.
Monica Shanmugam is a PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering. Her research focuses on “creating tools that help engineers detect early signs of degradation, reduce unplanned maintenance, and improve the safety and reliability of systems that millions of people rely on every day.” Her long-term goal is to become a “technical leader who helps guide the safe and ethical use of AI-enabled technology across aerospace and other critical engineering systems.”
Brooke Werthmann is a rising fourth-year student at Virginia Tech working on a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition, Food, and Exercise, with a Psychology Minor. Her long-term goal is to become a Physician’s Assistant.
She has a passion for patient care but also a concern for “work-life balance” and the importance of hard work to reach her goal. One of her references stated that “she is one of the most dedicated, accomplished, and well-rounded students I have had the privilege to mentor in my career.”
These young women are shining stars! This world is and will continue to be a better place because of them and what they have to offer.
Marianna Fillmore
President Chapter AU, Blacksburg
