15 FASCINATING FACES OF THE YEAR | Cheryl Sorenson of West Chicago/Wheaton/Glen Ellyn

HELPING AT-RISK WOMEN WORLDWIDE

WEST CHICAGO/WHEATON/GLEN ELLYN–As a Christian, Cheryl’s faith directs her work and she is inspired by Micah 6:8: And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

After learning of a Kenyan girl who was unable to attend school during her monthly menses, Cheryl was motivated by this gender inequality to help form Dignity4Girls and hold sew-ins to make washable pads and send 2,000 feminine hygiene kits to Kenya; so today, the girl who once missed school during her period, is currently attending nursing college on a Dignity4Girls scholarship.

As Cheryl became more aware that females faced challenges in the form of bias, discrimination, and inequality, she pursued a M.A. in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership at Wheaton College while also earning her Trauma Certificate.

“My graduate-level coursework and experiences through Dignity4Girls prepared me to work with refugee women at my current job at Re:new Project in Glen Ellyn where Artisans sew exceptional handcrafted bags available for sale,” she says. “Re:new Project is where my passion for empowering women and post-traumatic growth intersect.”