Pictured from Left to Right: Victoria Plummer, Sophia Ndaro, and Eleana Shaffer. Not Pictured: Whitney Bartal, and Olivia Shutter.
March 19, 2025, (Lebanon, PA) – The Lebanon County Commission for Women is excited to announce the recipients of its 2025 Women’s Empowerment Scholarships. This year, five young women from Lebanon County will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to support their continuing education. The scholarship aims to assist those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, academic achievement, and a commitment to pursuing their educational goals.
The award certificates were presented by Committee Chair Sue Danielewicz and Committee Member Elizabeth Judd at the 15th Annual Women’s Hall of Fame, held on March 19th in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. The Commission is proud to support these outstanding individuals and looks forward to witnessing their future accomplishments.
The awarded students are as follows:
Whitney Bartal from Lebanon School District – Whitney will be attending Susquehanna University in the fall. Her intended major will be Theatre Management. Her essay highlighted her journey to find ways to cope with anxiety and the loss of a loved one by suicide. Her recommendation was from Megan Heefner, teacher and coach. In her essay, she wrote, “Coping mechanisms have allowed me to be a better student, an effective communicator, a strong leader, and a more empathetic and compassionate person.
Sophia Ndaro from Cedar Crest School District – Sophia is still deciding what secondary school to attend. Her essay highlighted her experiences with financial insecurity. She gave an insightful explanation of how financial challenges impacted her confidence and ability to fit in with her peers at school. Her letter of recommendation was from Kayliegh Stroff, coach from Paramount Sports Complex. In her essay, she wrote, “Now I’m just thankful for the hardship I went through when I was in eighth grade. It reminds me that there is always light at the end of a tunnel.”
Victoria Plummer from ELCO School District – Victoria wants to be a nurse and applied to several schools. She is awaiting final decisions. She is an avid dancer. Her essay highlighted how dance helped her with her struggles with anxiety. Her letter of recommendation was from Emily Zimmerman. In her essay, she wrote, “I won’t necessarily hang up my dance shoes but I’m eager to try on a pair of nursing shoes.”
Eleana Schaffer from Palmyra Area School District – Eleana is accepted to the University of Delaware. She chronicled her experiences with a learning disability and her journey with accepting that being different wasn’t a bad thing. Her letter of recommendation was from Bethany Barger, her high school math teacher. In her essay, she wrote, “I didn’t let this IEP label me a ‘disabled learner,’ I used it to help me. My learning style was different and that was okay.”
Olivia Shutter from Northern Lebanon School District – Olivia applied to the York College of Pennsylvania’s Nursing Program. Her essay focused on the impact of her parent’s divorce and the subsequent absence of her father from her life. Her essay was very moving when she described the void her absent father created in her life and the death of her great supporter, her grandmother. Her letter of recommendation was from Sierra Glynn, a close family friend. In her essay, she wrote, “However I remain patient in myself, and I remembered the resilient, determined, and strong woman I have become.”
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The Women’s Empowerment Scholarship is part of the commission’s ongoing efforts to promote the health and well-being of women and girls in the Lebanon Valley. For more information, email media@commissionforwomen.org.
