Our October meeting exemplified Zonta roles in general; 1) an induction of a new member conducted by President Barb Yong, assisted by Anna Weselak, Membership Chair; 2) a program featuring a long-time Zonta member, a transfer originally from Zonta District 18 Club of Nigeria, Yemi Onibokun; and Peg Dowling, another very experienced Zontian and business owner, introduced our speaker. A very special meeting for all of us!

Maria and Barb

Anna, Maria and Barb

Zonta Club of Oak Brook welcomed Maria Zucchero-Denkov as an official Zonta member. Maria has been advocating for women’s rights and their well-being for a while, on both a personal and a professional level. Maria owns of her own spa services business, focused on wellness for her clients. She participates in many non-profit organizations in her Lombard community and throughout the western suburbs.

Peg and Yemi

Our own Oak Brook member, Olayemi “Yemi” Onibokun, honored us with a program consisting of an introduction and details about how she worked on the book. She answered our questions and passed copies around so we could actually get a hands-on preview. Recently published and available only in Nigeria, but soon to be available on AMAZON. The title is “ THRIVE! Conquer Marital Dystopia and Live Your Dream.”

The book describes the socio-cultural and educational environment of female children in post colonial Nigeria. It examines the system of matrimony , using firsthand experiences and reports from a Focus Group Discussion. It concludes that “when relationships are no longer mutually beneficial; women must stand up, stand tall, adapt, and THRIVE.

Club President Barb Yong and Savannah Jeffreys

Our Zonta Club of Oak Brook welcomed Savannah Jeffreys to our September club meeting, our JMK Women in Business Award recipient as she began her Junior year at Wheaton College in nearby Wheaton, Illinois where she is pursuing a Bachelor Degree with a Business/Economics Major and an Entrepreneurship Minor.

Savannah has been named to the Dean’s List every semester since enrolling at Wheaton.

One of her professors described Savannah’s classwork in a team project where she collaborated with her peers to develop a business idea aimed at decreasing wait times in urgent care emergency room settings. Savannah played a crucial role in this project,  conducting extensive research, developing a viable business plan, and presenting the idea with confidence and clarity. Her team was selected to pitch their idea in front of judges and a 250-person audience. Her innovative thinking and strong teamwork skills were instrumental in the success of this project, which received high praise from other entrepreneurs and investors.

As a summer Executive Writing Intern with HOPE International Savannah assisted their CEO and executive team in launching various writing projects, completing blog posts, and learning more about the value of microfinance in breaking the cycle of poverty among the world’s poor.

Beyond her academics, Savannah is a dedicated varsity swimmer and a freelance Harp Soloist, who performs in a variety of venues. She has been an active participant in the Center for Faith and Innovation at Wheaton College, where over the past year she worked with a non-profit “client,” using Agile project management and design thinking skills to create a design brief addressing one of the challenges this organization was facing. She was invited to Europe to present her ideas to this organization in a larger conference setting, where she was able to connect with other industry professionals.

We wish Savannah all the best in her academic journey and pursuing her career goals!

Zonta Club of Oak Brook is now accepting applications for  Zonta Club of Oak Brook Women in STEM Award.

The Zonta Club of Oak Brook Women in STEM Award encourages women to pursue education, career opportunities and leadership roles in STEM fields.
The Zonta Club of Oak Brook award recipient receives US$1500.
Application Deadline: September 30,2024.

Click to download:  2024 Zonta Club of Oak Brook Women in STEM Scholarship Application

Before applying, please download and review the important details in the Women in STEM Scholarship – Oak Brook Club Description. Deadline for submitting the application to Zonta Club of Oak Brook is September 30,2024.
Questions may be sent to: STEMOakBrook@gmail.com

District 6 was front and center at this Zonta International Convention more than a few moments, including three of our own Oak Brook members.

Thank you to Reni Bankole, one of  our brave new members, for serving as our Delegate!

Thank you to Myra Celestin, District 6 Parliamentarian, for keeping us on track with Zonta procedures and protocols!

Thank you, Mary Nagel, for your service with the Zonta USA Caucus. Your heart is always in it!

And, you can lead procedures with clarity and explain sometimes confusing Zonta by-laws like a fellow teammate so the non-lawyers can clearly understand!

Recycle Your Desktop/Laptop Computers

Saturday, June 22, 2024
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
at
Oak Brook Public Library
(600 Oak Brook Road, Oak Brook, IL 60523)
Sponsored by

Zonta Club of Oak Brook
and
 Compudopt

Scan QR code for more about donating computers:

Compudopt’s Mission:
To provide technology access and education
to under-resourced youth and their communities.

Their programs serve to eliminate limited access to computers, facilitate growth in technical and digital literacy skills, help provide no or low cost high-speed internet options and support the future of youth and their communities.

Compudopt’s  program model repairs and refurbishes these tools, keeping them out of landfills and giving them a second life with a young learner without access to technology at home.

Download a poster to share: POSTER

On April 29th, our Membership Committee hosted a new member orientation at the always gracious Oak Brook Public Library focused on new members, prospective members, and a mix of experienced members to learn more and share how our club supports the Zonta mission within our club, within our local communities, and how Zonta is structured and governed as a large global organization for more than 100 years. Zonta International programs and projects were introduced and reviewed as well as Zonta Global Initiatives.  Zonta International programs and projects were introduced and reviewed. Everyone was introduced to the Zonta International website so they be informed whenever they need to learn more. Light refreshments were served to render a social and casual setting that invites open discussion. 

A wonderful turnout for a Monday night, and plenty of conversations to truly “orient” all who attended.

Extending a BIG ZONTA WELCOME to Teri and Reni, our two new members who were inducted at our April club meeting.

 They both joined right before the winter holidays, so both are already acquainted with some of our service projects, fundraisers, and Zonta events. We are proud to have both of these accomplished women formally join in our Zonta mission. Reni will be traveling to represent our club at the Zonta International Convention in Brisbane, Australia in June.

Our Zonta Club of Oak Brook presented its YOUNG WOMEN IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS AWARD at our April club meeting.
Our winner, Sophia Szymanski, is a graduating Lyons Township High School senior. We were overjoyed to welcome both Sophia and her mother to our dinner meeting.                             

Sophia was so gracious and shared some of her plans and experiences with our members. Her accomplishments are stellar and her goals high, but achievable with her kind of focused energy. Our warmest wishes go with her as she heads to Northwestern University in Evanston.

Zonta Club of Oak Brook are proud and honored to announce our 2024 Young Women in Public Affairs Award, Sophia Szymanski, graduating senior from Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Illinois.

Sophia credits her passion for public affairs to her dual-citizenship (Poland-United States) background and her experiences living in Poland. Sophia’s ability to speak three languages influenced her successful efforts to connect with various cultures and opportunities. This fall, Sophia will pursue a double major in Chemistry and Global Health at Northwestern University on the accelerated master’s track, where she hopes to pursue a career in international development in support of women’s health globally.

Sophia, we wish you all the best as you move further into your learning journey, and we congratulate you on how much you have accomplished so far.

• • Secretary General of two Model United Nations conferences
    • H-MUN 9 (non-profit organization that hosts a summer learning conference for incoming high school students and supports international development organizations) In summer 2023, Sophia led Hinsdale Model United Nations (H-MUN) and raised more than $19,000 for both the World Food Programme Sudan and the Amazon Rainforest Conservation Fund
    • LYMUN X (Lyons Township High School’s Model United Nations)
      Conference hosted more than 600 students from 35 schools across the Midwest and Sophia arranged to feature personalized videos from the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Director General of the World Health Organization to address the conference
  • Student Representative to the D204 Board of Education
    • Sophia was appointed and diligently worked to bridge the gap between students and administration.
    • Sophia represents 4,000 students who hail from diverse racial, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds, and she presents student ideas and feedback for consideration by the school administration and the board.
    • Together, they have introduced increased budget allocation for school clubs, and led their school to joining the nationwide class action lawsuit against social media companies.
  • Representative Sean Casten’s STEM Scholars Program in (Illinois Congressional 6th District.
    • Sophia toured various local STEM facilities
    • Learned about the local initiatives to reduce climate change in the Chicagoland community
  • Lyons Township High School Chemistry Club
    • Sophia – Founder and President
    • Opportunities for students to learn more about chemistry and STEM through various labs
    • Provides access to research and internship opportunities in the community
  • Youth Representative for the Medical Communications Coalition
    • Sponsored by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
    • Partners with various health organizations, such as the World Health Organization, to organize social media campaigns pertaining to public health topics focused on by the partner organization, with the goal of building awareness among youth