Audio clip
Jennifer Harper
Jennifer Harper wanted to help women at a Chattanooga crisis center learn to better manage their finances when she soon discovered it was too late for many of them.
"What we found out was a lot of those women already had gotten into credit trouble or beyond the scope of what I could provide them," said the SunTrust Bank vice president.
So, Ms. Harper said she applied for a $5,000 grant from the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund and put together a financial literacy program to help girls learn how to handle money before they got into a problem.
For her work, Ms. Harper was one of five winners Friday of the Chattanooga Nautilus Awards, aimed at marking the achievements of women.
Ms. Harper said there needs to be more emphasis on financial literacy.
"It's something that affects everyone, no matter their education or career," she said. "Everyone is going to have financial responsibilities."
NAUTILUS WINNERS
* Sheila Boyington, president of Thinking Media, who received the Athena Award, which recognizes the demonstration of professional excellence and community service.
* Jennifer Harper, a SunTrust Bank vice president, who won the Lightkeeper Award, which cites a person's contributions to issues impacting women or girls through grassroots efforts
* Eileen Mason, co-owner of Chattz and the Chattanooga Coffee Co., who was presented with the Navigator for Entrepreneurship Award for instituting best practices for women in the workplace.
* Joanna Grace Shaw of Ooltewah High School, the recipient of the Pearl of Promise Award that is given to a high school junior or senior with strong scholastic aptitude in science and math.
* Kris Boucher, a Chattanooga State Community College student who won the Stargazer Award, which goes to a woman who postponed her education but committed to make personal and professional sacrifices for educational and professional achievement.
Both Miss Shaw and Ms. Boucher received $2,500 scholarships.
The awards were presented by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Sheila Boyington, president of Thinking Media and winner of the Athena Award, cited the influence of her parents, who immigrated to the United States from India in the 1950s.
"They are the real American dream," she said at an awards presentation at the Convention Center. "They taught us how to work hard and really be sincere about everything we did."
Other Nautilus finalists
* Athena Award: Dr. Phyllis Miller, co-founder of The Women's Institute for Specialized Health; and Ronna-Renee Jackson, assistant vice president of application development in business technology at Unum Group.
* Navigator Award: Kim Buckner, owner and creative director of h2b creative, and Terri Holley, owner of Embellish, a boutique in Warehouse Row.
* Lightkeeper Award: Doris Ellis of WDEF-TV; and Marina Peshterianu, office coordinator at Bridge Refugee Services.
* Pearl of Promise Award: Nisha Boyington, a rising senior at Girls Preparatory School; and Brittany Munro of East Hamilton High School.
* Stargazer Award: Charlotta Edwards, owner of Bundles of Joy Academy; and Tracey Freeman, an in-school suspension monitor at Lookout Valley Middle High School.
Mike Pare, the deputy Business editor at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, has worked at the paper for 27 years. In addition to editing, Mike also writes Business stories and covers Volkswagen, economic development and manufacturing in Chattanooga and the surrounding area. In the past he also has covered higher education. Mike, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida Atlantic University. he worked at the Rome News-Tribune before ...
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