2025-2026 Branch Leaders

Executive Committee

President

Claudia L. Walker, Ed.D.      

President Elect

Martha Steele

Vice President Membership

Debbi Sochia                        

Vice President Programs

Martha Steele             

Secretary

Debbi Sochia    

Treasurer

Sharon Parson

Parliamentarian

Vacant

Standing Committees

Public Policy

Pat Sanford

Finance/Budget

Sharon Parson

Scholarships/NCCWSL/CU

Jeanette Pierce

AAUW Funds

Vacant

DEI

Vacant

STEM

Vacant

Governance

Jeanette Pierce

Appointed Positions

Membership Outreach

Adrien Frank

Community Coordinator

Claudia L. Walker, Ed.D.

Reservations

Martha Steele

Publicity

Michelle Burk

Historian

Rachel Skelley

Communications

Malinda Gaul

December Meeting

December 6, 2025, 11:30 A.M.

Does a threepeat make an event a holiday tradition? If so, we will follow our AAUW San Antonio tradition of celebrating our December meeting at the BaHa’i Center, thanks to member Norma Khoshbin. This is a space that allows for our traditional service activity as well as tables (which members will adorn with holiday decorations) where we’ll enjoy our boxed lunches, either from home or ordered in advance from Jason’s Deli. We’ll also be accepting donations for three different groups. At the end of the meeting, we’ll take our trash home, and leave the BaHa’i Center in perfect condition.

And don’t forget that the scholarship drawing will be held at this meeting. If you wish to contribute, contact Ruth Lyle (ruthannlyle@gmail.com,) before the meeting.

Service Activity: One of our AAUW-San Antonio service projects will once again benefit Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM). We have been asked to donate canned tomato products and/or hygiene items at our December 6th meeting. Jeanette Pierce will pick up loose hygiene items from CAM that we will organize into gallon-sized storage bags to create individual hygiene kits.

Here is a longer list of items requested for December:

• Monetary Donations

• Canned Tomato Products

• Men’s Jeans

• Men’s Casual Shoes/Tennis Shoes

• Belts

• Men’s Underwear (new; all sizes)

• Women’s Underwear (new; all sizes)

• Travel Size Hygiene Items (soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razors)

Thank you for your help in supporting the most vulnerable in our community.

Donations: Please bring professional or business-casual women’s or men’s clothing for Dress for Success. Member Juanita Sepulvada, who serves on the board of Dress for Success, has spoken to us in the past about their counseling program which helps chronically unemployed persons get back into the job market.

Guideline for donation:

1)    No jeans.

2)    Avoid anything outdated.

3)    Jewelry, dress shoes, and boots are acceptable.

4)    Sizes extra-large and small are in short supply.

President Claudia Walker would like to replenish school supplies for teachers in her district, Judson ISD. As you know, teachers spend their own money for supplies, and by mid-year, all the supplies purchased in August are used up. So, Claudia has planned a special holiday refresh for them.

Finally, we need a few volunteers to bring holiday-themed table decorations. We also need a few six-packs of water bottles to replenish the supply at BaHa’i. They do not charge us, and they do not accept donations, so we like to offer this in gratitude.

Please email Martha Steele, (steelemar@gmail.com) if you can help with decorations or bring water.

DECEMBER MEETING DETAILS

Saturday, December 6

11:30 a.m.

BaHa’i Center, 735 W. Magnolia Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212

BOX LUNCH MENU

All lunches include choice of dessert:

oatmeal cranberry cookie OR chocolate chip cookie OR gluten-free dessert.

Salad Boxes

Please submit choice of dessert with selection.

1)    Nutty Mixed-Up Chicken Salad $20.00

2)    Big Chef Salad $19.00

Sandwich Boxes

Please submit choice of dessert with selection.



1)    Roasted turkey $16.00

2)    Ham $16.00

3)    Chicken salad with almonds and pineapple

Select bread: Multigrain wheat OR white OR marbled rye.

Veggie Box $16.00 Includes choice of dessert. Spinach, cucumbers, onion, tomatoes, guacamole on multigrain bun, with fruit cup and dessert. (Veggie boxes will be refrigerated when they arrive; since they will not be on the table, please ask helpers to get them from the refrigerator.)

Ice tea and water will be available.

OR

You may bring your own lunch.

Please reserve your box lunch by notifying Martha Steele, steelemar@gmail.com. Don’t forget to include your choice of dessert, and if you are getting a traditional sandwich box, include your choice of bread.

Deadline for orders: December 4

Payment Options

Pay at the door with check or exact change.

Pay in advance using Zelle to

AAUW San Antonio (aauwsatx@gmail.com)

It is that time of the year for our annual

AAUW San Antonio

Textbook Scholarship Drawing

 $200 VISA Gift Card

 $100 VISA Gift Card

You do not need to be present to win or a member of AAUW, so anyone can buy tickets!

Drawing will be at our

December 6, 2025 GENERAL MEETING

1 Ticket - $10             3 Tickets - $25

10 Tickets - $75         15 Tickets - $100

 Cash, Check or Zelle 

Paying by Check: 

Payable to: AAUW San Antonio

Mail check to:

Kathy Dicke

100 W. El Prado Dr. #207

San Antonio, TX 78212

To Pay with Zelle:

Click the bill pay tab in your bank account and select Zelle. Use the email aauwsatx@gmail.com to send money. In the memo field identify the payment: AAUW Textbook Drawing.

Tickets will also be available at AAUW monthly meetings and some interest group meetings.

Please tell your family/friends who may

want to participate in the drawing. 

Thank you for making this year’s

Textbook Scholarship Fundraiser another great success.

Questions: Ruth Lyle - 210.722.1732 - ruthannlyle@gmail.com

AAUW San Antonio Scholarship News

Our San Antonio affiliate scholarship program is active and effective in providing much needed funding to women pursuing higher education at the college and university level.

Annually, our board studies the funding available through our endowments managed by Edward Jones and plans accordingly to offer an appropriate number of Graduate Scholarships. Funding for graduate and undergraduate applicants for our Textbook Scholarships comes through two fundraising efforts - a gift card ticket drawing in December and our Chocolate and Champagne event held in February. On April 5, 2025, we were able to award three graduate and three textbook scholarships to six women pursuing their dreams of higher education. Acasia Sanchez and Dulce Martinez, Textbook Scholarship winners, and Neriah Sosa and Erica Hollis, Graduate Scholarship recipients, were able to join us at our luncheon at Pompeii Grill to receive their awards.

We will begin our campaign this fall to reach women students from Bexar and surrounding counties to share information on application processes. Our entire local organization is needed in the effort to give our web address to colleagues, friends and family and live our mission to promote equity. https://sanantonio-tx.aauw.net/

Each member can also help by purchasing tickets for the gift card drawing and participating in Chocolate and Champagne. If anyone has questions, please contact Jeanette Pierce, Scholarship Chair.

Jeanette Pierce

Scholarship Chair

Erica Hollis and Neriah Sosa

Graduate Scholarship Recipients

Dulce Martinez

Textbook Scholarship Recipient

Acasia Sanchez

Textbook Scholarship Recipient

Hope is a Catalyst for Action

Recent election results give us hope! Hope to an end of the erosion of women’s rights and personal freedoms under the current administration. Hope that governors and members of Congress will serve the constituents who elected them. Hope that citizens will vote leaders into office who represent and act on the ideals and values that are foundational to our country.

Making this happen depends on all of us. Making it happen requires action from all of us. Making it happen demands commitment to do more from all of us.

Action can definitely be age-related, though that is in no way an absolute. For example, you may have marched and demonstrated when you were younger and had the stamina for it. Now you may be passionate about letter writing, donating, or volunteering. All these actions get results. The take away here: do what you can when you can with what you have.

Keeping informed motivates the desire to act. In our branch each meeting has a theme connected to women achieving in challenging times. At the end of a meeting we’re asked, “How does what we just heard pertain to us. What can we do individually or as an organization to use it in helping others?” Additionally, at our December meeting members will stuff bags of toiletries to be given to Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM). At the December meeting, members may also participate in the annual fundraiser we hold to raise money for textbook scholarships. All these actions improve lives and keep our focus on awareness and advocacy for others.

AAUW and AAUW Texas provide updates, committee resources, and calls to action regularly. For information on what AAUW TX is doing, check the website at https://aauw-tx.net. Members are welcome to join one of the quarterly zoom meetings on Finance, Programing, and Public Policy. Dates and registration information are listed on the website. Check the national website at AAUW to refresh your memory on the ways AAUW advocates for equality for women and girls. We can be proud that millions of dollars are given in grants yearly, that position papers are submitted and published regularly, and that the website contains some of the most thorough analysis of legislation to be found anywhere. Your donations supporting this work are greatly appreciated and necessary so the work can continue.

Check out AAUW’s new resources on building coalitions:

https://www.aauw.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Working-in-Coalition-Building-Power-through-Partnerships-Resource.pdf

View the webinar recording: https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/webinars/

AAUW is proud to be a Grassroots Power Partner with the League of Women Voters US on their nonpartisan Unite & Rise 8.5 campaign together with the National Council of Jewish Women.

• AAUW
• Voter Engagement: Unite and Rise 8.5
• AAUW Press Release (11/7/25): Women-Led Organizations Join Forces to Strengthen Democracy Nationwide 

Recent hope has uplifted our spirits. It is a catalyst for committing to further action. There is much at stake and much to do. Begin by being informed. Decide how you can best use your resources. Will you give monetarily, by volunteering, by talking with friends and family advocating for what is right and encouraging others to dialogue and take action too? Above all, act. Do more than you’ve done in the past. The future we want depends on it!



Pat Sanford

AAUW San Antonio Public Policy Chair

AAUW TX Public Policy Committee

AAUW Moviegoers (Let’s All Go to the Movies!)

Moviegoers! We meet on the last Sunday of each month (unless I miscalculate how many days are in each month and then I pinch hit, lol). I send out an email with a list of currently showing movies to vote on and then let everyone know the winning movie and location. Please join us! All are welcome! 

Our next movie is scheduled for Sunday, December 28!

Call/text/email Debbi Sochia

dsochia@att.net

210-218-2675

What Does AAUW National Do?

Policy Advocacy: Focuses on national issues affecting women and girls, such as education equity, pay equity, and reproductive rights.

o   We coordinate our Public Policy Committees, participate in coalition work and partner with other prominent National organizations to raise awareness about our policy priorities (such as the YWCA for our Gen Z Town Hall in Philadelphia).

Subject Matter Expertise: We have historically produced in-depth studies on topics like the gender pay gap and women in leadership roles.

o   While we haven't produced reports recently due to limited funding - we have done high level analysis of recently released pay gap data. We are frequently asked to comment on topics related to pay equity, student loan debt and other issues related to gender equity. You can see our recently updated page on Latinas and the pay gap for example, here: https://www.aauw.org/resources/article/latinas-and-the-pay-gap/

o   We have tens of thousands of social media followers across all platforms and have well over 1 million website viewers - ensuring that our brand remains prominent and relevant. CEO Gloria Blackwell has been invited to White House events on at least three occasions recently.

o   On a Global level - Gloria is AAUW's representative to the UN - and our work in this capacity provides great reputational value related to global gender equity work.

Salary Negotiation and Financial Literacy Training: Offers training and resources for women to develop skills to be financially empowered.

o   In particular our Work Smart, Start Smart and Money Smart trainings provide valuable resources and tools for women to become economically empowered. Nationally we work with organizations such as the HBCU Career Center, Tri Delta, Coca Cola Foundation, Finra Foundation, SAGE and others to bring these trainings to thousands of women across the country. These trainings were developed and are updated and managed by the National office. They have been independently evaluated by two separate entitles and continually receive very high ratings from participants.

Fellowships & Grants: We award and administer over $6 million in fellowships and grants each year to hundreds of women in the US and Internationally. 

o   We also connect our members and branches to these awardees and alumnae and have an Alumnae Relations team charged with growing and maintaining relationships with our thousands of distinguished Alumnae.

Membership Services: Provides support and resources for local branches and members, including access to national networks and events.

o   We host all aauw.net websites, process dues, support 990 filings, and maintain our history and globally recognized brand. Without AAUW National - AAUW branches would instead be independently organized entities who would not be networked with one another or have the ability to utilize the AAUW name. 

In essence, while AAUW National sets the strategic direction and focuses on broader issues, local branches implement programs and initiatives that directly benefit their local communities. Together, our aim is to work towards the common goal of advancing gender equity.

Follow AAUW San Antonio on:

Facebook www.facebook.com/aauw.sanantonio