As they have in past years, delegates who attended Journey, the summer camp for middle school girls founded by the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, will host a tea on Sunday, Aug. 26, from 3-4:30 p.m., to honor four local women role models.
This year’s honorees include Joan Athen, Ethel Hill, Becky Lessey and Linda Odum. All four women are members of the Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame.
Athen is a businesswoman who served on the boards of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce and Howard Community College. She founded the Maryland Therapeutic Horsemanship Association, which teaches children and adults with disabilities to ride horses.
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Lessey is a foster parent and foster parent trainer. Professionally, she has worked at Howard Community College since 1983 in the adult basic education programs for individuals with learning disabilities or very low literacy skills.
Hill, an attorney and former educator, is a founding or charter member of six Howard County service, civic and professional organizations. She has been appointed to many county boards and commissions by Howard County Executives.
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Odum is a real estate professional, who was the first Director of Early Childhood Education for the Columbia Association in 1970. She has served on board of The Columbia Foundation and is a founder and past chair of The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County.
The honorees were selected by Journey delegates as part of an intensive camp experience that included workshops on self-awareness and decision making and other topics. Journey was operated by Maryland Leadership Workshops, which has been providing leadership training programs for middle and high school students in the state of Maryland for over 50 years.
Twenty-five young women attended the Journey summer camp in 2012. Over 225 delegates have completed the camp since its start in 2006. The signature program was founded and is financially supported by contributions from donors to WGC.
The tea will be held in the Kittleman Room of the Duncan Hall Building at Howard Community College. For reservations, contact Kristen Metz Mentz, womensgivingcircle@verizon.net.
