What is a Fellow?
Fellowships are grants or scholarships. But what is a fellow? A fellow is an equal or a comrade. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who work together as peers in the pursuit of knowledge or practice.
In this case, a Soroptimist “Fellow” is a person or club that is indeed a member of an elite group. Every fellow named represents $1,000 in donations to the Soroptimist Founder Region Fellowship Program, which provides scholarships to some amazing women. Over 750 Soroptimist women have become Fellows since 1948. Five hundred women are active members, and many have multiple fellowships and/or have donated fellowships to other Soroptimist women.
Ask your Soroptimist Fellowship Director for a copy of the complete list of Fellows by district. They will be happy to update the list if a name is missing, miss-spelled, or the member has moved to a different district or club.
The Fellowship Board emcees the annual Friday night dinner at Founder Region Conference where the new Fellowship recipients are presented to the members, and given a moment to describe themselves and their project. Soroptimist Fellows are invited to an exclusive reception before dinner to meet the recipient winners in person! This is always a highlight of conference for Fellowship.
How to become a Fellow:
In this case, a Soroptimist “Fellow” is a person or club that is indeed a member of an elite group. Every fellow named represents $1,000 in donations to the Soroptimist Founder Region Fellowship Program, which provides scholarships to some amazing women. Over 750 Soroptimist women have become Fellows since 1948. Five hundred women are active members, and many have multiple fellowships and/or have donated fellowships to other Soroptimist women.
Ask your Soroptimist Fellowship Director for a copy of the complete list of Fellows by district. They will be happy to update the list if a name is missing, miss-spelled, or the member has moved to a different district or club.
The Fellowship Board emcees the annual Friday night dinner at Founder Region Conference where the new Fellowship recipients are presented to the members, and given a moment to describe themselves and their project. Soroptimist Fellows are invited to an exclusive reception before dinner to meet the recipient winners in person! This is always a highlight of conference for Fellowship.
How to become a Fellow:
- Contribute $1,000 to Founder Region Fellowship.
- Anyone can win a Fellow by participating in Fellowship drawings.
- Donations to Fellowship can be made by anyone, including non-members.
- Donations can be made "in honor of", or "in memory of", a person living or deceased.
- Set up a Monthly Pledge of $25 or more to become a fellow.
Click on your district to see the Fellows in your club.
Please notify your Fellowship Director if you
have transferred to another club so we can
update the District Fellows Directory.
have transferred to another club so we can
update the District Fellows Directory.
Fellowship Pin
The Fellowship logo was designed by Jan Sadler of S.I. El Cerrito in 1987.
The circle is an ancient and universal symbol of unity, wholeness, infinity, the goddess, and female power.
The lighted torch is almost always associated with giving light or guidance, as in passing the torch to the next generation. The torch and/or lamp of knowledge generally symbolizes learning or knowledge and in science it is the ‘guiding light of scientific inquiry in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom truth and intelligence’. The Olympic torch is a symbol of the harmony and goodwill toward humanity. Sometimes the torch is replaced by a sun on the Fellowship pin.
Rays of light symbolize enlightenment and the sharing of knowledge and wisdom in the world.
Book in hand: Fellowship targets women who are working in fields of great social importance. The design shows a woman’s hand holding a book, symbolizing learning and education. The idea may have its roots in the statue of St. Catherine of Alexandria (who stands holding a book). She has been dubbed the patron saint of libraries and anyone associated with wisdom or teaching.
The circle is an ancient and universal symbol of unity, wholeness, infinity, the goddess, and female power.
The lighted torch is almost always associated with giving light or guidance, as in passing the torch to the next generation. The torch and/or lamp of knowledge generally symbolizes learning or knowledge and in science it is the ‘guiding light of scientific inquiry in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom truth and intelligence’. The Olympic torch is a symbol of the harmony and goodwill toward humanity. Sometimes the torch is replaced by a sun on the Fellowship pin.
Rays of light symbolize enlightenment and the sharing of knowledge and wisdom in the world.
Book in hand: Fellowship targets women who are working in fields of great social importance. The design shows a woman’s hand holding a book, symbolizing learning and education. The idea may have its roots in the statue of St. Catherine of Alexandria (who stands holding a book). She has been dubbed the patron saint of libraries and anyone associated with wisdom or teaching.
Fellow Levels
There are currently 15 Fellow levels and each level has its own pin. The pins for Levels 2 through 15 each have their own crystal imbedded in the pin. The levels and crystal colors are below. A person (member or not) can become a Fellow by a payment of $1,000 for a level (in one payment or in monthly payments over time) or winning one of numerous raffles held throughout a biennium as part of Fellowship fundraising
Level One - no crystal
Level Two - Turquoise
Level Three - Amethyst
Level Four - Yellow Topaz
Level Five - Cobalt Blue
Level Six - Emerald
Level Seven - Rose
Level Eight - Peridot
Level Nine - Ruby
Level Ten - Crystal
Level Eleven - Sapphire
Level Twelve - Tanzanite
Level Thirteen - Fire Opal
Level Fourteen - Black Diamond
Level Fifteen - Aurum
