Women of Promise – Dreams Realized

The Woman of Promise award is given to an outstanding graduate of the Center’s New Directions program. Honorees must demonstrate the following abilities:

• To learn and change
• To invest in herself and others
• To set long-term goals and realize them through persistence, diligence, creativity and a positive attitude
• To identify and use her talents and the resources available to her

2013 marks the 18th “Women of Promise” event.  This year is extra special, as we honor not one, but two, outstanding graduates; something that hasn’t happened since 1999. Kathy Bickel and Toska Broadway both represent everything the Woman of Promise should be, demonstrating commitment to change and the courage to achieve their goals.

Kathy Bickel

Bickel has come full circle, from a recipient of the Center’s services to one of its outstanding leaders as a member of our board of trustees. In 1980, Bickel sought services from NDCC after a divorce that left her responsible for her three young children.  The Center’s licensed career counselors worked with Kathy to tackle her fears, regain confidence, and develop a career plan.  The hard work and sacrifice paid off:  Bickel earned her undergraduate degree from OSU’s prestigious Fisher College of Business in 1987 and a master’s degree in Labor and Human Resource Management in 1994.

Today, Bickel is happily remarried and works as a Vice-President for The OSU Alumni Association. Bickel has earned the respect of her staff, colleagues, and the people she serves in her leadership roles at both OSU and NDCC.  And, most importantly, she is respected by the three, much-loved children who shared her journey.

Kathy says, “I often tell my children – and this is also the advice I give other women in crisis – you are much stronger than you think and things are never as good – or as bad – as you think they are. You can do anything you set your mind to – just do it.”

Toska Broadway

Broadway is a 2008 graduate of the New Directions program and a recipient of the Bostwick Scholarship. As a single mother of a teenage son, she loved her work as a part-time sign language interpreter but knew she could do more to help the deaf community. With the help of NDCC, Broadway enrolled at Columbus State Community College with a goal to transfer to Gallaudet University (GU) in Washington, DC to study American Sign Language.

After a trip to Costa Rica, where she witnessed severe poverty first-hand, Broadway decided to major in International Relations, focusing on strategies to end poverty. She will be travelling to Guatemala this summer to assist in setting up a camp for deaf children and has been accepted into the International Development graduate program at GU.

Broadway commented, “When I look back over the last three years, I am in awe at how my life has changed…I still, to this day, refer to my NDCC handbook and have my poster at school with me as to not forget who I was and where I am heading.”

New Directions Career Center is proud of the accomplishments of this year’s Women of Promise recipients. The success of these women reflects the efforts of many people, but also the future hope of Columbus. NDCC relies on the Columbus community for support.  I’m proud of what we do here. Lives really do get changed. You can help us continue to make a difference by offering your support.

What Is a Woman of Promise?

It’s springtime and things are abuzz here at New Directions Career Center. In just two weeks (April 19^th, 6-8 p.m.), we’ll announce our 2012 Woman of Promise at our annual signature fundraising event. 

The award winner embodies what NDCC is all about. To learn the stories of graduates who have changed their lives through hard work and determination is to know what a Woman of Promise really is.

Bonnie, our 2011 Woman of Promise, grew up in an environment where not much was expected of women. She struggled through college with an undiagnosed learning disability and worked a blue collar job with no vision for her future. During the “New Directions” program, she learned that she had value and things to offer the world. She graduated determined to have a career doing something she loved. Bonnie returned to school and became a certified travel planner. After working her way up to management, she pushed herself in an entirely new direction and started her own successful business.

Bonnie is an inspiration for us all: “The New Directions Career Center set me on a path that enabled me to see and activate a new vision of myself.”  

Many women come to New Directions Career Center during a time of transition, searching for a message of hope. Jacqueline, our 2010 Woman of Promise, described herself as “lost and fearful of reaching out for help” when she enrolled in NDCC after leaving an abusive marriage. At the Center, she learned how to set healthy boundaries in her personal relationships, embrace the  support network offered to her, and focus on her career goals. She worked a part-time job while continuing her paralegal education, obtained full-time employment as an Insurance Account Assistant and set her sights on becoming a family law attorney.

The stories of our previous Women of Promise honorees offer only a glimpse of the Center’s impact. With over 60,000 graduates and more than 30 years of experience providing quality career development at an affordable cost, the NDCC community has much to celebrate. Many women enroll at New Directions Career Center after hearing about how it has helped someone they know succeed. They arrive hopeful. They graduate with solid goals, momentum and confidence in themselves. The Center’s network of volunteers, motivational speakers and donors includes many graduates with their own stories of outstanding achievement.

I hope you will plan to join us on April 19^th, at 6:00 p.m. for the 16^th annual Women of Promise fundraiser, our biggest event of the year. Enjoy live entertainment, cocktails & hors d’oeuvres, and live & silent auctions offerings throughout the evening. You’ll meet community leaders, staff and supporters as we all come together to recognize the inspiring journey of our 2012 honoree. Celebrating the accomplishments of one person helps us each realize our own limitless potential.