Times Observer photo by Jessica N. Rex SLT Academy students are pictured with members of the Association of College Women: Elizabeth Phelps, collegiate guest; Kellie Blasco, ACW co-president; Madison McDunn 2025 scholarship recipient and collegiate member; Kylie Jurkowski, Warren Area High School class of 2026, Jayna Baldensperger, collegiate member; Katie Beyer, recent college grad and guest; Jennifer Check, SLT Academy education director; Rob Pearce, SLT Academy music director; Jana Hanks, ACW treasurer, and Olivia Zapel, ACW secretary.

A few days following their main performance, students from the Struthers Library Theater Academy gave a second (impromptu) performance of their show “Let Freedom Sing” at the quarterly dinner meeting for the Association of College Women.

Entering its 100th year this fall, the Association of College Women is a local, independent social group that was founded during the early days of women’s suffrage. As the group celebrates a century of promoting women’s civic duty, it has set a special goal to reach 100 active members.

“The early members were very active in the community, operating a book store and sponsoring loans to college bound women,” said Kellie Blaso, Association of College Women co-president. “Eventually the monies for these loans were entrusted to the community foundation to manage in the form of scholarships.”

Always accepting new members, the group numbers have fluctuated over the years. A few years ago, Blasco actively recruited women to join when numbers were as low as 30.

Able to increase those numbers, Blasco shared that the group has an endowment at the Community Foundation in order to award educational scholarships to young women in Warren County. Membership is open to women with at least one year of education beyond high school including those with professional licenses.

For the last few years, the group has participated in community service by doing such things as members volunteering with the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle bell ringing at Christmastime. The Association of College Women meets four times a year for a dinner, inviting special speakers. Locations rotate and membership is open to women with at least one year of any education beyond high school. For more information, contact Blasco on Facebook or the Association of College Women Facebook page.