Recently, Kendall Ludwig, owner of Curly Red, a creative design agency based in Oakland, Maryland, made a check presentation to the AAUW-Garrett Branch for their Scholarship Program. This donation was generously based on a percentage of the firm’s new business brought in during the month of February, a community service project done annually by the firm. It led directly to the decision by the AAUW-Garrett Branch Executive Committee to award a $1,000 scholarship to Southern High School junior, Cadence Natividad. The scholarship will support her attendance at the Georgetown University Summer Law Academy for High School Students in Washington, DC, in June.
“Every February at Curly Red is First Fruits February,” states Kendall Ludwig, “where we donate 10% of our proceeds to two worthy nonprofits. Choosing AAUW-Garrett Branch as a recipient was a no-brainer. AAUW does so much good in Garrett County, and as a woman business owner, I’m personally thrilled to know that our donation will assist young women in achieving their goals.” The other First Fruits February recipient this year was The Deep Creek Dunk to benefit Special Olympics Maryland.
Cadence Natividad serves as the Student Member of the Garrett County Board of Education, where she focuses on removing communication barriers and connecting with all students across Garrett County Public Schools. At Southern Garrett High School, Cadence serves as Secretary of the Student Council and is an active member of the Mock Trial, Varsity Tennis, and Unified Bocce teams. She is also on the Executive Board for the Garrett County Association of Student Councils (GCASC) and represents her peers on the School Health Council and the Public Schools Equity Advisory Board. A passionate advocate for community engagement, Cadence is an Ambassador Scout with Girl Scout Troop 55004 and Junior President of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 71.
Her additional achievements include Third Place in the Maryland State American Legion Oratorical Contest, the Girl Scout Silver and Bronze Awards, First Place in the National American Legion Poppy Poster Contest, a Top 5 Finalist for the State Student Member of the Board of Education position, and the prestigious Garrett County Woman of Tomorrow award.
Says Cadence about her AAUW-Garrett Branch scholarship, “the generosity of AAUW enables me to attend Georgetown’s Summer Law Academy, providing me with invaluable exposure to the legal field and empowering me to pursue my aspirations of a career in law. This opportunity is a crucial step toward my academic and professional growth, and I’m deeply grateful for AAUW’s support.” During the Summer Law Academy, Cadence will spend one week following in the footsteps of the nationally recognized lawmakers and legal experts who received their education at Georgetown while exploring her passion for the law with expert faculty, enthusiastic mentors, and talented peers.
One of AAUW’s national top priorities is workplace and economic equity. The Curly Red donation is a critical component of supporting AAUW’s quest for economic security through education and increasing the number of women employed in high-paying careers. In recent decades, American women have made significant strides toward economic equality; they make up nearly half the U.S. workforce, and two-thirds of women are their family’s primary or co-breadwinner. Yet, in 2023, the median annual earnings for women working full-time were $52,850, which is significantly lower than the $66,790 median for men, resulting in a gender pay gap of 83.6%.
Says Judy Carbone, President of AAUW-Garrett Branch, “lower wages for women leads to lower economic security during their career which results in more women in poverty than men and lower retirement security for women in their senior years. This needs to change, but it’s not just women who will benefit when it does. When Garrett County women do better, their families, their workplaces, and our community do better.”
For more information on the issue of workplace and economic security, go to https://www.aauw.org/issues/equity/.
Donations to AAUW-Garrett Branch Scholarship Programs are making a difference in the local community for women and girls wishing to continue their education and increase their opportunities for increased economic security. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is the nation’s leading voice promoting equity and education for women and girls. Since its founding in 1881, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. The Garrett Branch of AAUW has been working since its creation in 1946 to bring strong women together for activities related to women’s empowerment in our community.
If you are interested in learning more about AAUW-Garrett Branch and supporting the branch’s initiatives and programs, please visit their Facebook page or call Judy A. Carbone, Branch President, at 301-616-5036.
