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Congratulations to Mary Little, Stockton Art League's Youth Art Coordinator and member, for her honor as a 46th Annual Susan B. Anthony Women of Achievement award.
Seven San Joaquin County women will be honored for their accomplishments Tuesday at the 46th annual Susan B. Anthony Women of Achievement award ceremony.
"It's just very important that we continue this tradition of honoring women," Diane Oren, a former English professor at San Joaquin Delta College and the organizer of the event, said.
The Susan B. Anthony award was established in 1974 to honor women who have excelled in volunteer efforts in one of several categories, including education, the arts and health care.
The ceremony has been held annually on Feb. 15 — suffragist Susan B. Anthony's birthday — for 47 years, with the exception of 2021 when it was not held due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The banquet was held at the Stockton Golf and Country Club in February.
The award was founded by Beverly Fitch McCarthy, a local feminist pioneer and former Stocktonian of the Year who died in December.
This year honored the following women for their contributions to the community:
This year's honorees are:
Nicole Churchill — Churchill is an educator at the Stockton Unified School District. She has created programs for underrepresented girls to explore STEM fields, as well as the Family Math program, in which families and students participate in math activities. Churchill is a member of, and was nominated by, the Stockton Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Beverley Dierking — Dierking was the Community Education Coordinator for Kids College at Delta College, a program teaches children and teens new skills and helps them explore potential career paths. She now leads the Stockton Institute for Continued Learning, among numerous other contributions. Dierking was nominated by the American Association of University Women.
D’Adrea Davie — Davie is a real estate consultant and entrepreneur and has served on the Stockton Planning Commission. Davie also served on the committee that updated Stockton's General Plan, and volunteered with the National HUD Approved Agency to work to help homeowners stabilize their mortgage payments. Davie was nominated by Links, Inc.
Minerva (Minnie) R. Liwanag Eichele — Eichele is a musician and a founder of the Prelude Ensemble of the Stockton Chorale, the Valley Community Orchestra, the Bowing Stings Quartet Plus, and the Valli Celli Ensembles. Eichele plays the cello for the Turlock and Modesto symphonies, the Townsend Opera Players and the Valley Community Orchestra. She sings with the Stockton Chorale. Eichele was nominated by the Philomathean Club.
Penny Knapp — Knapp has volunteered for the Hospice of San Joaquin for more than 35 years. She has completed over 2,700 volunteer hours with the hospice and with other organizations including Elks, the YMCA, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association and Pixie Woods. Knapp was nominated by the Hospice of San Joaquin.
Mary Stuart Little — Little was an educator at Delta College and at University of the Pacific. She is a founding member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee of Delta Kappa Gamma, Tau Chapter. Through the Stockton Art League, Little organized low-cost art classes for children. She also participates in the SUSD Youth in Transition art program for students with special needs. Little was nominated by Delta Kappa Gamma, Tau Chapter.
Shirley Washington — Washington taught for 35 years at Stockton Unified. She also taught for programs including Advancement Via Individual Determination, an organization that educates teachers to help close opportunity gaps, and the GEAR UP Program, which helps low-income students obtain high school diplomas and succeed in postsecondary education. Washington was nominated by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Mu Zeta Omega Chapter.
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