Women+girls (W+g) L.I.F.E.
Encouraging Virginia's Women+girls to Love+Inquire+Flourish+Enduree
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Over the Moon to Honor VASFA with the
Spirit of Virginia Award
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Pictured: Governor and First Lady with VASFA staff and campers. | |
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The Governor and First Lady presented the third 2023 Spirit of Virginia Award to Virginia Space Flight Academy (VASFA) on July 28 on Wallops Island, VA. Established in 1998 and celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the nonprofit seeks to foster interest and offer hands-on educational opportunities to students interested in STEM and space flight exploration. VASFA also partners with national leaders in the space industry to offer dynamic, vibrant classroom programming and space adventure camps—their Space Act agreement with NASA allows campers unique access at NASA’s flight facilities on Wallops Island. We applaud this summer’s space camp graduates as well as Virginia’s ongoing contributions to space travel and exploration—current University of Virginia professor and former astronaut Kathryn Thornton was recently interviewed for the First Lady’s Sisterhood Spotlight series regarding her work in this very area. Follow this link to read the interview in full!
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Pictured: The First Lady and Governor with VASFA Camper of the Week. | Pictured: The First Lady alongside women and girls who help make up VASFA's campers and staff. | |
Pictured: The Governor and First Lady alongside VASFA Executive Director Kim Check. | Pictured: First Lady talking to a VASFA camper and her family. | |
Pictured: The First Lady alongside Tim Tebow and HSI Cyber Crimes Center leadership. |
Collaborating to Combat
Human Trafficking
| The Governor and First Lady joined Tim Tebow and the Tim Tebow Foundation in visiting the Homeland Security Investigations and Crimes Center, located in Northern Virginia, to learn more about the combined efforts of our Commonwealth, the U.S. and global law enforcement to identify and rescue victims of child exploitation and abuse. To learn more about the Tim Tebow Foundation and this initiative, please visit the website. | |
Pictured: The First Lady at the Pregnancy Support Center of the Tri-Cities. | Coming Alongside New and Expectant Mothers | The First Lady visited the Pregnancy Support Center of the Tri-Cities in July in honor of Maternal Health Awareness Month. The center serves the communities of Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights by offering education and resources to new and expectant mothers. To learn more, please visit the website. | |
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Stepanie Spencer
Founder and Executive Director
Urban Baby Beginnings
| Stephanie Spencer, from Richmond, VA, stays involved in the community dedicating her time and talents to maternal and newborn health causes. In this Sisterhood Spotlight, Stephanie shares about her work with the Petersburg community, her role with Urban Baby Beginnings as well as her abundant efforts to continue community-based support. | |  |
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Julie Bilodeau
CEO
CrossOver Health Care Ministry
| As CEO of CrossOver Health Care Ministry, Julie Bilodeau works to improve the community as a leader and advocate for those in need. In this Sisterhood Spotlight, Julie shares about her experience as a female CEO, her involvement with CrossOver, some of her best tips for practicing a healthy lifestyle, and other advice for Women+girls (W+g). | |
Chincoteague Pony Parade
First Lady and Governor Youngkin traveled to Chincoteague Island to close out the Island’s largest summer celebration with the “pony swim back”. The decades-old annual tradition raises funds for first responders and offers visitors a peek into Virginia’s vast equine industry and treasured wildlife.
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Pictured: The First Lady rides alongside the Chincoteague Saltwater Cowboys. | |
Thank you to our 37 wonderful Fellows for your dedicated and diligent work this summer! A 30-year-old tradition, the Governor’s Fellow Program offers recent and soon-to-be college graduates a unique opportunity to make lasting contributions through service in various secretariats and agencies. Applications for rising college seniors and/or recent college graduates interested in the 2024 Fellows Program will be available in January and are due in March 2024 – follow this link to find out more! | Pictured: The First lady poses with the Fellows assigned to her office. | |
Best Ice Cream Shop in America! | While in Chincoteague, the Governor and First Lady stopped by Island Creamery. Since 1975, and run by three generations of the Conklin family, the ice cream shop was recently named the “Best Ice Cream Shop in America” by USA Today. | |
Pictured: The First Lady and Governor at Island Creamery.
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State Employees Soak in the Art Experience During its Last Weeks
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The First Lady joined the Department of General Services (DGS) and Mansion staff to welcome all Virginia state employees to the Executive Mansion to see the first-of-its-kind, Art Experience. This exhibit – which will be reimagined with new pieces in the coming weeks – features over 50 works, created almost exclusively by Virginians like artist Maria Reardon. Keep an eye out for a NEW Sisterhood Spotlight featuring Reardon and plan your visit to the Executive Mansion to see this installation before it’s gone! | |
Pictured: The First Lady poses with a group of Virginia state employees in the dining room at the Executive Mansion. | |
Pictured: The First Lady alongside volunteers at the Hope Center. | |
First Lady Focus on the Partnership for Petersburg
The First Lady had the distinct privilege of visiting with volunteers and community members at the Hope Center in Petersburg. The non-profit provides warm meals, bagged groceries, utility assistance, health care, and more to residents in need. To learn more about these and other resources the Hope Center provides, please visit the website.
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Pictured: The First Lady and Governor with a Chincoteague Pony. | The Chincoteague Pony has been named the Official State Pony of the Commonwealth of Virginia! The Governor signed HB 1951 and SB 1478 at the 98th Annual Chincoteague Volunteer Fireman’s Carnival. | |
Pictured: "Mt. Vernon Looking Down the River" by John Gadsby Chapman, on loan from Mount Vernon Museum. | Home to the nation’s first President George Washington and family for decades, Mount Vernon has witnessed substantial amounts of history. Artist and illustrator John Gadsby Chapman painted the estate from a perspective that shows its proximity to both the Potomac River and Washington, D.C. If you have yet to see the Art Experience’s first installation, now is your chance. Visit the Executive Mansion on Tuesday, August 15th and Friday, August 18th from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for the LAST tours of the 2022 exhibit, “The Spirit of Virginia.” | |
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