The Zonta Club of Oak Brook is bursting with pride to announce that our 2023 Young Women in Public Affairs Award goes to Catherine Tang, recent graduate of Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois, and a repeat winner, having also received our 2022 Young Women in Public Affairs Award.

Bon Voyage to Catherine as she embarks on her life’s journey.Here are just a few of her accomplishments so far!

Catherine’s involvement in Public Affairs is beyond outstanding. Her involvement Public Affairs within her high school includes serving as Co-Founder and Co-President of her school’s law club, serving as a Student Representative on the Student Safety Committee, meeting monthly, consisting of the principal, deans,  teachers, counselors, parents, and representatives from the local fire and police departments; working with other students to create a Mental Health Advisory Board and implemented her school’s first Mental Health First Aid program partnering with the Josselyn Center, which trained more than 1,500 students and staff in how to respond to mental health crises. Catherine also has been deeply  involved  with Public Affairs outside of her school, including her position as Head of Outreach and Communications of The Sex Ed Initiative (SEI), a youth-led advocacy organization, in which she led members to write Shattering the Taboo, an eighty-page sex-ed handbook fact-checked by college faculty and public health professionals; Catherine was featured by the Chicago Tribune for publishing the handbook and implementing it as material in 10 health curriculums across the US and South Korea.

Volunteering  six hours every week as an Online ESL Tutor for Project: VISION, she worked work one-on-one with middle schoolers from Chicago’s Chinatown, Bridgeport, and surrounding communities to improve their English skills. During her high school summers  years, Catherine volunteered at her local library – working the circulation desk in the Fiction & Media Department, assisting the Adult Literacy  teacher with lesson plans for weekly classes, and leading Spanish Storytime for ESL kindergarteners.

Beyond school and community, Catherine also had broader experience:
Executive Board President of Glenbrook North High School’s World Languages Honor Society

2020 Youth Ambassador to Argentina and Chile through USYA
 (Spanish leadership exchange scholarship funded by the State Department)

2021 Peer Mentor for the Experiment Digital Climate Change & the Environment Program

2023 Alumni Summit for Leadership in Washington DC
 (75 program alumni from 25 countries across the Western Hemisphere)

Policy Assistant for Illinois State Representative Carroll, Illinois’ 57th District
(Working on actual proposed legislation on gender equality, Title IX, and protection for victims of sexual assault)

During our May meeting, we welcomed three new members into our Oak Brook club. We are very proud to have inducted Jeannie Pezan, Yemi Onibokun (previously a member and Secretary of the Zonta Club of Ibadan in Nigeria) and Juli Campagna.

Jeannie, Yemi, Juli

Incoming President Barb expressed our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to outgoing President, Mary Nagel, for all she has done in her term a club president while serving as both Zonta District 6 Representative to Zonta International USA Caucus and the Zonta International Chair of Bylaws and Resolutions Committee.

Oak Brook member and Zonta International District 6 Area 1 Director, Mary Kay Nelsen, installed our new club officers: President Barb, Vice President Emily, Treasurer Kathy, Secretary Jeannie, and Director Linda. (new Director Myra not pictured). Congratulations to all our new officers. All members are looking forward to a wonderful club year!

Installation of our Zonta Foundation of Greater Chicago Board members were installed by our freshly installed club President Barb (not pictured). ZFGC Board members include: President Linda, Vice President Mary Kay, Treasurer Peg, Secretary Anna, and Director Mary.

Zonta Club of Oak Brook is now accepting applications for the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship.
Click to download the 2023 Zonta Oak Brook  JMK Application.
Before applying, please download and review details in the JMK Scholarship Description document.

Zonta International offers 37 international scholarships of US$5,000. Each club award recipient is elevated to its corresponding district level, and each district/region may submit one applicant for consideration for an international scholarship.
Deadline for submitting the application to Zonta Club of Oak Brook is May 31, 2023.
Questions may be sent to: KlausmanOakBrook@gmail.com

Because Zonta International believes in gender equality, the Jane M. Klausman (JMK) Women in Business Scholarship program helps women pursue undergraduate and master’s degrees in business management and overcome gender barriers from the classroom to the boardroom. The program operates at the Zonta club, district/region and international levels.  Since the program’s inception, Zonta has awarded 713 scholarships, totaling more than US$1.8 million, to 559 women representing 70 countries.

Zonta Club of Oak Brook is now accepting applications for  Zonta International Women in STEM Scholarship.
Click to download the 2023 Women in STEM Application.
Before applying, please download and review details in the Women in STEM Scholarship – Oak Brook Club Description. Deadline for submitting the application to Zonta Club of Oak Brook is June 9,2023.
Questions may be sent to: STEMOakBrook@gmail.com

The Zonta International Women in STEM Scholarship
encourages women to pursue education, career
opportunities and leadership roles in STEM fields. The program operates at the Zonta club, district/region and international levels. Each Zonta district/region may submit one applicant for consideration for an international scholarship.

The Zonta Club of Oak Brook recipient will receive US$1500. A single candidate from each of Zonta’s 31 districts and one region will receive an award of US$5,000 from Zonta International.

Women of any age and nationality, pursuing a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) degree program at an accredited university/college/institute, who
demonstrate outstanding potential in the field and are living or studying in a Zonta district/region, are eligible.
▪ Online students are also eligible to apply if enrolled at an accredited university/college/institute.
▪ Students must be enrolled in at least the second year of an undergraduate program through
the final year of a master’s program at the time the application is submitted to the local Zonta club. Applicants must be in school at the time the scholarship funds are disbursed and must not graduate before April 2024.
▪ Previous district and international Women in Technology Scholarship recipients may not apply for the Women in STEM Scholarship.
▪ Applicants for the 2023 Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship may not also apply for the 2023 Women in STEM Scholarship.
▪ Club members and individuals with direct membership with Zonta International and employees of Zonta International and Zonta Foundation for Women, and their family members (ancestors, descendants, adoptees, siblings, nieces or cousins, and those of their spouse or co-habiting partner), are not eligible to apply for the Scholarship.
▪ Golden Z club members are eligible to apply.
▪ Applicants from geographic areas within a Zonta district/region where no clubs are located will be considered and are eligible to apply for the international scholarships via a Zonta district/region.

The goal of the Young Women in Public Affairs (YWPA) Award Program is to encourage young women to participate in public affairs by recognizing a young woman’s commitment to the volunteer sector, evidence of volunteer leadership achievements and a dedication to the empowerment of women.
Applicants aged 16-19 on 1^st April each year, studying at a secondary school, college or university in a Zonta district/region, or who are studying elsewhere but are citizens of a Zonta country at the time of application, are eligible to apply. The application process must start with a Zonta club.

Download the 2024 application form: Zonta Club of Oak Brook 2024 YWPA Packet
(Applications are due by February 28, 2024, to: YWPAOakBrook@gmail.com)

Applicants are asked to reflect on their voluntary commitment to their school and to their community and the problems limiting the empowerment of women in their own country and worldwide. The Zonta International Young Women in Public Affairs Award Program looks to the young women of today to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Zonta International, with world headquarters in Oak Brook, IL, USA, is a leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy. The Young Women in Public Affairs Award is one of many programs for women and girls sponsored by Zonta International. The Award is funded by voluntary contributions to the Zonta Foundation for Women Young Women in Public Affairs Award Fund.