Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women’s Street Art

Alicia Parrott, known as She Posse in the street art world, enjoyed the opening of her first New York art show at Walls and Halls Gallery in Queens, along with a large gathering of her fellow artists, art followers, friends and family, including her mother, Diane Greenberg, president of Peconic Bay Zonta. The show featured 14 women street artists in celebration of Women's History Month.

"As an admirer of street art for decades, an artist since I could hold a paintbrush and a career graphic designer for over 20 years, my She Posse identity was organically created by working as a volunteer moderator on Shepard Fairey's social media platform," Parrott explained. Fairey is an artist and activist who became well known for his "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" stickers, plastered all over Rhode Island, where he attended the Rhode Island School of Design. Fairey is also famous for designing the Barack Obama "Hope" poster for the 2008 presidential election.

Recognizing that street artists are overwhelmingly male, Parrott decided to amplify the voices of women street artists by calling herself She Posse. She creates small canvases, mostly portraits of colorful imaginary women, and converts them to stickers that she posts in public spaces. “My work is meant to inspire dialogue about the importance of gender equality and female empowerment,” she said. "By creating art in public spaces our voices become louder and can spark meaningful conversations that challenge the status quo."

Parrott has volunteered her graphic design skills to create award-winning posters for Peconic Bay Zonta, as well as a colorful bookmark with the message "Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women," which the club distributed to local libraries.

Wearing Red for Equal Pay Day, March 12, 2024

                                                                                        – photo by Don Kazenoff

March 12 is Equal Pay Day this year. Peconic Bay Zonta members (from left) Liala Strotman, Betsy Kaplan, Diane Greenberg, Vivian Daddino, Geri Kazenoff, Annika Shapiro, Kathy Walker and Loretta Ogden wear red to symbolize how far women are "in the red" with their pay.

On average, women must work longer for the same amount of pay than men in comparable jobs. The wage gap is even greater for most women of color.

In 2023, women had to work through March 14 – two days more – to make as much money as men did. We're inching up.

Zonta believes in equal pay for equal work!

Peconic Bay Honors Member Mona Rowe on Zonta Rose Day

Zonta International marks Rose Day on International Women's Day, March 8. It's a day to reflect on the volunteer work that Zontians do to make a better world for women and children.

On Rose Day 2024, Peconic Bay Zonta celebrates the special contributions of its member, Mona Rowe. Says fellow Zontian Liala Strotman, "We are honoring Mona for her enduring and across-the-miles membership!"

Returning to Hawaiʻi in 2016, Rowe kept her membership in Zonta District 3's Peconic Bay. She remains totally involved – from fund raising through music to advocacy posts on the club's website.

Catching Up: 2018 YWPA Winner Isabella Sorgi

 

Isabella Sorgi

Back in 2018, Isabella Sorgi, then a senior at Mercy High School in Riverhead, won the Zonta District 3 Young Women in Public Affairs Award (YWPA) as well as an award from Peconic Bay Zonta, which sponsored her YWPA application to Zonta International. Recently, Sorgi sent a note of appreciation to our club, writing, “Zonta will always hold a special place in my heart given it was the first substantive confirmation of my volunteer work, service, and advocacy.”

Isabella Sorgi with members of Zonta District 3

After winning the Zonta awards, Sorgi enrolled in a small program at the New York University Stern School of Business that focused on social impact learning and global experiences, in addition to business fundamentals. She explained, “Much of my coursework emphasized the need to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into decision-making, thereby encouraging companies to accept societal responsibility within their business model.” 

Practicing the skillset she learned at Stern, Sorgi spent summers consulting for non-profit organizations with a social impact mission and volunteered at the Westhampton Beach Historical Society to help grow their community outreach efforts. 

Upon graduation in May 2022, she accepted a position as a consultant at AArete, a Chicago-based consulting firm. She said, “At AArete, I seek out work that encourages businesses to adopt strong ESG principles, while also growing the company’s volunteer and outreach efforts within the Chicago community.

"Under my leadership, the firm’s internal pro bono group has supported various non-profit organizations in Chicago and across the country. For example, in 2023, we helped maintain an urban farm that feeds refugee families, shipped handwritten cards to cancer patients across the country, and raised money for a nearby animal shelter. In addition, I manage the relationship with AArete’s primary charitable partner, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, and continue to identify additional avenues of support. Mercy Home is a wonderful non-profit that provides housing, educational support, and career guidance to children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or violence.”

Peconic Bay Zonta is proud of you, Isabella, and wishes you continued success in your promising career.

Peconic Bay Zonta Awards ESL Scholarship

Karina Leon of Southampton has won a $350 scholarship from Peconic Bay Zonta, a nonprofit group that works to improve the status of women and girls.

The local Zonta group, which covers eastern Long Island, awards the scholarship to one or more female students, twice per year, who successfully complete level 3 of the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at the Riverhead campus of Suffolk County Community College and are studying to achieve an educational goal.

Leon emigrated from Ecuador two years ago and, as a single parent, lives with her younger brother and her 11-year-old daughter. While employed as a housekeeper, she attends ESL classes to improve her English-speaking skills, with the ultimate goal to continue her education and pursue a career in psychology.

Affiliated with Zonta International, Peconic Bay Zonta seeks to empower woman and girls through service and advocacy. 

Zonta International Scholarships

To fulfill its mission of empowering women worldwide, Zonta focuses on gender equality in education, an essential human right and critical to development for all.

Educated women can break the cycle of poverty.

• They can choose when to marry.
• They can choose if and when to have children.
• They can access quality health care to safeguard themselves and their children.
• And they can educate their own children and ensure greater opportunities for future generations.

Zonta International offers support for women and girls pursuing education and careers in the traditionally male-dominated fields of aerospace sciences and engineering, business and business management, public affairs, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

PUBLIC AFFAIRS AWARD

The Young Women in Public Affairs award recognizes young women, ages 16-19, who demonstrate superior leadership skills and a commitment to public service and civic causes, and encourages them to continue their participation in public and political life. The application process starts at the club level. The deadline for submitting an application to Peconic Bay Zonta is March 1, 2024. For information and to apply, click here.

BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIP

The Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship supports women pursuing undergraduate and master’s degrees in business management. The application process starts at the club level. The deadline for submitting an application to Peconic Bay Zonta is June 15, 2024. For information and to apply, go here.

AEROSPACE FELLOWSHIP

The Amelia Earhart Fellowship was established in 1938 in honor of famed pilot and Zontian, Amelia Earhart. The fellowship is awarded annually to up to 30 women pursuing Ph.D./doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences. For information, click here.

WOMEN IN STEM SCHOLARSHIP

In 2019 and 2021, as a pilot program, Zonta International supported the Zonta International Women in Technology Scholarships to encourage women to pursue education, career opportunities and leadership roles in information technology. In 2022, the Zonta International membership voted to continue the program with an expanded focus on all the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. With this change, the Zonta International Board approved a name change and offered the Zonta International Women in STEM Scholarship in 2023. As this is still a pilot program, the Zonta membership must again consider whether or not funds are available to support the STEM scholarship going forward. Send a query to peconicbayzonta@gmail.com for program status.

Loretta Ogden Joins Peconic Bay Zonta

 

– photo by Neil Ogden

Peconic Bay Zonta welcomes Loretta Ogden to its membership!

Loretta heard about Zonta International from a dear friend, who is a member of Peconic Bay. Interested in the goals of our organization, she started to attend meetings and soon became an active participant. Her membership officially started on December 1, 2023. 

"Since I was a young girl, I have always had an interest in service or fundraising to help others," said Loretta. "After marrying my husband we had two biological children, but we decided that we wanted to also adopt children from countries that had the greatest need. We raised three adopted children, two from Korea, ages 4 and 6, and one 16-year-old Vietnam refugee."

During this period of her life, she started a support group with other adopted parents, and together they worked toward sending needed medical supplies around the world. "It was a busy time, but I loved every minute of it," she recalled.

In her late thirties, Loretta went to college to become a social worker. For over thirty years, she specialized as an adoption social worker and also worked with children with special needs.

"I am thrilled and honored to now be a member of Zonta and will work hard to make the world a better place for woman and girls," said Loretta.