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The mission of Solomon Girls Center, a program of Heartland Family
Service, is to provide activities and guidance enabling each girl to find her own identity; develop her potential; and achieve a sense of responsibility to herself, her family and her community. Activities of the year-round center are developed around culture and career awareness, recreation, social and relationship skills development, and a visual/performing arts program.
Ruth K. Solomon, in whose honor the center is named, created a general scholarship fund to encourage and enable center members to pursue post-high school education. Her bequest to the center helps translate dreams into reality by removing financial barriers to a girl's developing potential.
2005 Ruth K. Solomon Scholarship Awards
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| Mexy Swift |
Andra Bender |
Meet this Year's Scholarship Award Winners
Mexy Swift is a senior at North High School, where she was presented with an award for perfect attendance at the North High Career Center. Mexy has been a member of the Solomon Girls Center since the summer of 2002. Originally, she was placed at the Heartland Family Service Solomon Center through the Workforce Development Program as a youth worker.
Mexy returned the following year and has been a member of the teen group for the past three years. She has shown great leadership abilities as a mentor to the teens and pre-teens at the Center.
Mexy is on track for her future. Her passion for taking photos and capturing her surroundings—an interest she discovered during her junior year of high school—has sparked a desire to pursue a career in photography. Mexy will major in photography at the Metropolitan Community College. She plans to continue to work to help pay for her education.
Mexy is the daughter of Ms. Tivines Swift. She gives credit to her mother, whom she regards as her hero, for instilling in her valuable life lessons and how to be a good citizen.
Andra Bender is a senior at North High School. Although she is involved in many
extracurricular activities, her passion lies in the performing arts. Andra is a member of the Vikings dance team at North High School and participates in several choirs. She intends to pursue a career in the performing arts at Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas.
Andra’s first experience with the performing arts was at Solomon Girls Center. She remembers attending the center as a child and enjoyed dancing in class and in the annual recitals. She returned to Solomon Girls Center in the Summer of 2004 as a youth worker, renewed her membership in the fall and became a mentor to the junior group. Andra assisted the younger girls with creating dance steps for both their summer and school year programs.
The daughter of Ms. Sandra McClinton, Andra feels that her greatest
inspiration comes from her mother. “My mother taught me to have faith in Christ, which keeps me focused on what I was sent here to do.”
2005 Faye D. Douglas Perseverance Award
The Faye D. Douglas Perseverance Award is named in honor of Faye D. Douglas. Douglas who worked as the Solomon Girls Center program director for 21 years, has been a loyal supporter and valuable mentor the the Solomon Girls. The Faye D. Douglas Perseverance Award is given to Solomon Girls Center members who have exhibited outstanding progress in personal growth.
Faye D. Douglas (center) congratulates Aleasha Tiller (left)
and Diya Andrews (right). Tiller and Andrews are the recipients
of the 2005 Faye D. Douglas Perseverance Award.
Meet this Years Faye D. Douglas Perseverance Award Winners
Diya Andrews is nine years old and is a third grader at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School. She is involved in many community organizations, and has been featured in The Omaha Star with her junior sorority group. Diya joined the Solomon Girls Center in 2002, when she was a reserved and quiet girl. She seldom spoke with the staff or other girls.
Today, she is a fun-loving and free-spirited member of the junior’s group. She initiates conversations with staff and members alike. Diya is still quiet in nature, but she makes a huge impact on the other children by setting an example of how to follow directions, listen and behave appropriately. She is self-motivated and focused, and always happy to help her peers with their homework. Diya is the daughter of Pete & Deidra Andrews.
Aleasha Tiller is 11 years old and attends St. Richards Catholic School. She is in the fifth grade and her favorite subject is art. Aleasha is a bright student and manages to keep above average grades. She has been a member of the Solomon Girls Center since 2000.
As a young girl, Aleasha had a precocious spirit, and required frequent redirections. However, she has transformed into an extremely bright, thoughtful and respectful young lady. Aleasha accepts constructive criticism and has a positive attitude. She is always one of the first girls to volunteer to help our staff and serves as a positive role model for younger girls at the Center. Aleasha is the daughter of Lisa Lewis.
 Scholarship Committee member Brenda Douglas (left);Joe Patterson, Scholarship Committee Vice Chairman (center); and Faye D. Douglas Scholarship Committee General Chairman(right).
Solomon Girls Center supporters
stand to sing.
 Director of North Services, Fawn Taylor (left) and keynote speaker, distinguished educator Elaine Adams (right).
Solomon Center Artist-in-Residence Sondra McSwain. McSwain and Artist-in-Residence Jeanne Rogers instruct the
Solomon
Girls in the performance arts
The Solomon Girls entertain their guests with dance and musical selections.
 
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